Warriors of Steel
by WalrusWins257
Summary: Ninjago is on the verge of war. The Dark Island is home of a cruel dictatorship headed by Lord Garmadon. Our four heroes fight the dictatorship in their branches of the Ninjago Armed Forces, and go through their own personal struggles. Ninjago Alternate Universe. First Fanfic. Special Thanks to DragonWhisperer762 for making the Cover Image!
1. Chapter 1: The Burn

**So, as ya'll know, this is my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy reading it, and know that constructive criticism is always allowed. I don't own Ninjago, or the characters of the show. I only own my OCs. Now, without further ado, here's Chapter 1 of 'Warriors of Steel'!**

Chapter One: The Burn

Kai had one thought on his mind. His hands ached, his head hurt, and his legs felt like they were about to break away from his torso, but his mind stayed the course of one, simple thought: "This sucks!"

The man next to him, in the same stretched out position as Kai, shot him a dirty look. "Shuddup man! The Drill Sergeant's gonna hear us!"

Kai scowled, looking back. "At this point, I don't really care if the Sergeant hears us. I'm about ready to pack up and head back to Jamanakai." He shook his head, which was currently inches away from the solid earth that tormented him endlessly.

"And what would that do for you? What would that do for your sister? You know what's gonna happen. And if we heard correctly, it's gonna happen soon. Do you really think you can single-handedly protect your shop, your sister, and Jamanakai Village?" He said, his voice lowered to a whisper.

"And do you think Nya can single-handedly run the blacksmithing business? I told you how crowded that place gets!" Kai hissed back, pushing his arms upward and moving his face away from the dirt. He was tired. Real tired. He didn't know how the other men around him could keep the pace as well as he could.

"Based on the letters that she sends you, and the pictures, then yes. I do think she can run the blacksmith shop by herself." Replied the second man, his own arms close to collapse.

Kai spit in the dirt, not as a derogatory statement, but because there was too much saliva forming in his mouth. "You didn't grow up with her, Dan. Everything you know is just based on some pictures and a few letters I read for you!"

"Private Smith! Private Tally! What did I say about talking during push-ups?!" A loud voice boomed out, as a man's footfalls kicked up dust, causing the other recruits to hack and cough.

"Sorry sir," they said in unison. They looked up to see Sergeant "Polly" Poleson, standing over them at 6'5. It's rumored that he played basketball in High School, but got kicked out when he broke another player's balls with his sneaker. Kai questions the authenticity of the rumor, but Dan and most of the other recruits took it as fact.

"What's the matter? You two not get enough of each other in the bunks?" This comment earned a snicker from the rest of the troops, but they quickly quieted down when the Sergeant looked around at them.

"No sir," Kai replied. "It's probably just the heat. We're dying out here, sir. Our backs, our arms, our legs. Everything." He knew this comment would most likely not be taken well by the Sergeant, but it was the truth.

The Sergeant looked taken aback for a moment, then leaned down and wickedly smiled at Kai. That smile seemed to put a lot more pressure on Kai's back when he went down. "Well, if you don't die out here, then you'll most certainly die out on the battlefield, boy." The grin slid off of Poleson's face for a moment. "I would know…"

Kai remembered that the Sergeant had fought in the first war against the Dark Island 20 years earlier. Now, weeks after Ninjago's presidential election, trouble was stirring up again with them, and Ninjago was beginning to prepare for another war.

"Sir, we need a break. We're burning here."Kai tried to convince the sergeant, but the sergeant was not a man to be convinced.

The smirk quickly returned to Poleson's mouth, his jaw pushing upwards to an almost un-human position. "What, Smith, you don't like the Burn?" He said in a sharp and mocking tone.

"The… the Burn, sir?" Kai said, now clearly confused. He heard a _phump!_ to his left and saw that Dan's arms had gone out. The private had collapsed against the dirt in a sweaty, messy, fleshy heap.

Poleson frowned at the private, but turned back to Kai with the same grin as always. "The Burn, private, is the heat inside you, and the reason for why we fight. Every man has something to fight for. Some men fight for their families. Some for their homes. Some for their nation. Some men fight to save their own skins." He leaned down real close to Kai, and things got quiet. So quiet that Kai could hear his own heart beating rapidly against his chest. "What do you fight for, Smith?" And with that, the Sergeant stood up and moved back down the line, continuing his regular routine.

Kai thought about that question for the rest of the day. That question stayed with him until he was fast asleep in his bunk. And the next morning, when he got up at 4:30 for a weapons drill, the question still remained with him.

He could practically hear the Sergeant's words echoing in his brain. _"What do you fight for, Smith?" 'Well,'_ Kai thought as he slurped down some Captain Soto's Cereal, _'I fight for a lot of things. I fight for… I… I fight for Nya. I fight for the Shop.'_ He stopped and looked at the cereal. He didn't know if that was it. Nya was a huge part of his life, and the shop was what kept the Smith's alive since Kai Great-Granddad had founded it 130 years earlier.

He moved a piece of cereal through his mouth, thinking harder. Would an average man have more than two things to fight for? Less? He became indulged in the question. Every thought in his brain went to that one goal. Finding out what he fought for.

He became so interactive with that one question that he didn't notice the sound of a tray being placed next to him and someone sitting down.

"Yo man, you trippin'?" A voice spoke from his left, causing him to utter out an "Hm?" In reply. He glanced over to see Dan grinning back at him. "Are you tripping balls?" He repeated, with the same grin plastered on his face.

"Nah, nah man. I was just thinking." Kai said. He wiped something wet off his chin. Saliva. He gave a look of disgust, before returning to his bowl of cereal.

"Ah, I know what you're doing! Kai, you dog!" Dan shouted, a little too loud.

"Keep it down, will you?" Kai hissed, trying to make his friend shut up. "I think they heard you on the freaking' Dark Island!"

Dan leaned into Kai's ear, making Kai feeling like a schoolgirl at lunch talking about the latest gossip. "You were admiring Skylor Chen, weren't you?" He continued to grin, a little more mischievously.

Kai looked at him like he was telling him that the world was flat. "Who?" Kai said.

"Y'know, Skylor Chen!"

"No, I don't know Skylor Chen."

Dan grinned. "She's one of the newer recruits. Apparently her father was running an illegal slave ring and held a sort of gladiatorial tournament every year. She cut off all ties to her crooked Papa and came here." He sat back on his stool, stirring his fork around in his bowl of cereal. "At least, that's what I heard."

"Skylor Chen, eh?" He moved his gaze towards where Dan began pointing. She was sitting four tables away from them, talking with another recruit. She had long, flowing red hair that almost hit the small of her back. Her features, Kai thought, were perfect. No visible facial scars. No makeup, which was required by the Army of Ninjago. Kai thought he liked her better without makeup. He thought that her natural beauty was so great, that makeup would only bring it down.

"Uh, dude? You're drooling again." A voice cut off his fantasy. It was Dan. Stupid Dan, always interrupting Kai's sweet privacy and thoughts. He wiped his chin off once more.

He sighed. Now he knew why Jay acted the way he did around his sister. He smiled, hoping that his friend was doing better wherever he was, before getting up and throwing out the rest of his cereal.


	2. Chapter 2: Skies Are Calling

**So, Chapter 2 is rolling right along. I added a bit of Jaya into this one to keep it interesting. Also, in the last chapter, I said Kai was from Jamanakai village instead of Ignacia. So, from now on I'm going to be using Kai's REAL home town. In response to the reviews:**

 **SwimmerNinja13- I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for reviewing!**

 **TJ & EZ- Thanks a ton! I'll enjoy my time writing fanfics for this show as much as I can.**

 **MNC- Wow. Thanks for reviewing. I'm actually a huge fan of your work as well!**

 **lovesgod12- Great to meet you too! You won't have to wait long for the next update!**

 **Keep up the constructive criticism. It really helps me learn where to improve my writing and what things to brush up on. And now, with the disclaimer out of the way, on with the story.**

Chapter 2: Skies Are Calling

 _Looking back, he could remember it like it was yesterday. It was beautiful. A sunny day, with a few clouds in the sky. Birds in the trees, Ignacia down below them, the beautiful girl sitting next to him._

 _Jay Walker laid the large quilt down in the grass. He had taken her to this spot because he knew she would like it. They were positioned on the summit of a tall hill, with a blossoming cherry tree on top of it. He placed the quilt near the shade, but far enough away that they could still look at the sky._

 _Jay looked up and smiled at his soon-to-be-girlfriend Nya Smith, who was carrying a picnic basket filled with goodies, some of which she had made herself. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress which had no sleeves and stopped just above her knee-caps. She was a tomboy, and didn't usually dress like this, but she did it for Jay._

 _Jay turned to the view over Ignacia. He was there for work, since the Junkyard had been a little short on funds lately. "See Nya?" He said, a smile growing on his face. "I told you it was worth the walk up here!"_

 _She placed the basket onto the blanket, stepping towards him and looking out. "As long as the walk's with you, I'm happy." She smiled at him, a little mischievously. He turned, giving her a grin from ear to ear._

 _"Miss Smith, was that flirting?" He raised his eyebrows and shoved his hands into his pockets._

 _"Why, Mr. Walker! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" She placed her hands on her hips, sticking her nose into the air. Then Jay started chuckling. She gave out a small giggle, before they both burst into laughter and ran back to the blanket._

Yes, Jay Walker could remember it well. He smiled, looking down at the picture of Nya that Kai had smuggled in for him as a joke. But even if it was a joke, Jay kept it. He stood up from his small bunk, and walked towards the door.

He remembered what the Colonel had told him. _"1300 hours. If you're late at all, I get your rear shipped back to latrine duty in northern Ninjago."_

He looked at his watch. 12:23. He'd make it. He pushed open the door to the barracks, sliding on his airman's jacket as he ran towards the hanger.

It was a 5 minute jog, but a 2 minute sprint. For an average man. But Jay Walker was not an average man, and he made it to the hanger in about 45 seconds. As he slid into his flight suit, he continued to remember that day, that perfect day with the perfect woman.

 _He popped another blueberry into the air, catching it in his mouth. The girl opposite him tried the same, but it landed on her nose and hit the blanket they were sitting on. She got slightly irritated, but tried again. It landed on her chin, barely missing her mark. She sighed, getting frustrated._

" _This is too difficult." She said, simply putting a blueberry in her mouth like an average person. But Jay Walker anything but average._

" _Look, it's all in the positioning." He said, taking another blueberry from the cartridge. "If you can tell where that blueberry is going to go, then you can catch that sucker like anything!" He tossed it up a good 3 feet, and quickly moved his head to where he thought it was going to go. Like that, he caught it in his teeth. "Now you try!"_

 _Nya sighed, picking up the last blueberry. "Alright…" She tossed it in the air, and moved her head to the downward arc was heading. Plop! It landed in her mouth, and she swallowed it quickly._ (A/N I know it sounds dirty, but it ain't. Bare with me here.)

 _He smiled at her. "Not bad, Miss Smith."_

" _Oh, it was all your instructing, Mr. Walker." She replied, a mischievous smirk on her face._

 _He peered inside the basket. "Christ, Nya! This much cake could give_ Cole _a heart attack!" Jay said, before closing the basket quickly._

Jay closed the lockers quickly, finished putting on his G-Suit. In front of him, a few meters away, was his personal FN-34 Fighter Jet, polished to the core. He smiled and waved at the two men working away at the wings. He glanced back at his watch. 12:49. 'Jesus,' Jay thought. 'Time really does fly.' He chuckled, reminding himself to write that one down when he got back.

He used what was essentially a mechanical ladder to get onto the plane and hopped into the cockpit. On the side of the plane, painted in bold letters and surrounded by blue lightning bolts, were the words 'Sr. Airman Walker'.

This was his one shot to become a real pilot on the front lines, protecting people like his friends, like Cole, Zane and Kai! He was selected to try out for the active duty 47th Interceptor Air Wing of Ninjago. Or, if you didn't want to say that mouthful during planning or over the radio, you'd say the 47th.

The boys on the wing weren't quite done yet. Probably just a quick check to make sure everything was in order. He had been told that his plane was filled up currently. He placed on his helmet and proceeded to drift back into memories.

" _That one looks like Kai's hair." He said, pointing to a cloud. "And that one looks like a pirate!" He gestured to another white cloud._

 _Nya smiled. "Yeah, I see it! That one looks kind of like a boat." She pointed to a cloud that resembled a cruise liner. She propped herself up on her elbow, looking over at him._

" _Jay?"_

 _He looked over at him, a smile still spread on his face. "Yeah, Nya?"_

 _She looked down for a moment, before sitting up. "Have… have you ever kissed a girl before?"_

 _The question sent a quick jolt of surprise through Jay, as he hadn't expected it. "Well… no. I don't believe I have." His cheeks turned a bright pink. 20 years old, and he hadn't kissed a girl. "Embarrassing, am I right?" He chuckled nervously._

" _No, no!" Nya leaned forward a bit, slightly closing the gap between them. He sat up, looking back at her. Nya looked away. "It's just that… that I've never kissed a guy before."_

 _He gently grabbed her shoulder, causing her to look back at him. "Do you want to change that?" He asked quietly, while moving towards her. She moved slightly closer to him, her eyelids slowly linking. He followed suite, closing his own eyes._

" _Why, Mr. Walker, it's not polite to flirt."_

" _Does it matter if you like it, Miss Smith?"_

 _And their lips met._

A sharp tapping on the glass snapped Jay up again. One of the men on the wing was there, giving him a thumbs-up. He nodded, twisting knobs and flipping switches. He set his hand on the stick, guiding his aircraft out of the hangar. "Traffic Control, this is Joker 3452, requesting clearance for 47th Training Tryouts."

Jay heard the man on the other end whistle slowly. "Congratulations, Joker 3452. That wing is prestige."

Jay smiled. "Save the congrats for when I land the damn plane." He heard the traffic controller chuckle.

"Joker 3452, you are clear for takeoff. The sky is yours."

Jay sat up and taxied the FN-34. This was it. The Colonel was watching. He checked his watch. 1:00. Right on time. He smirked underneath the helmet. A buzz came in from his radio. "Alright Joker 3452. Here's the deal: There are 3 planes into the sky above you right now. When I say, the exercise will start, and you are to get positive missile lock on all 3. Understood?"

Jay breathed in. "Yeah, I'm ready." He had seen an exercise like this in a movie once. What was it? 'Bottom Gun'? He'd figure it out later. He pushed forward on the stick, flipping on thrusters. Quickly, he felt the aircraft leave the ground, and he brought the landing gear up.

"Alright," It was the voice from before. "Radio check. Test Pilot 1?"

"Here."

"Test Pilot 2?"

"Copy."

"Test Pilot 3?"

"Radio's fine."

"Joker 3452?"

"I'm all good up here, over."

"The exercise is clear. Repeat, Exercise is a go."

Jay flipped on afterburners, swinging the aircraft around to point at the 3 planes screaming towards him. He pulled his plane up, feeling the G-Force pushing him into his seat. After 30 seconds of heading up, he once more pulled the plane back down. He had a few advantages from this. For one, he had the sun to his back. Second, he had the elevated position and could easily swipe down on them like an eagle to a mouse. Third, he thought he looked pretty badass like this. (A/N Hey, even a pilot's gotta have some style.)

From his elevated position, he noticed that one of the planes had strayed from the other two. If Jay could act quickly enough, he could tag the plane before another one came in to help. Jay decided to go for it and quickly brought his plane down. Eventually, he pulled back on the joystick, bringing the plane right behind the strayed plane. Within seconds, Jay had a positive lock on the fighter. Smiling from ear to ear, Jay brought his jet back up another 2,000 feet.

He looked around for the next target. One was right below him, and the other was about 2 miles to his right. He once more dove like a bird of prey. This time, he didn't bring it behind the jet. Instead, he got a positive lock onto the plane from above, and quickly banked the plane 90 degrees right, attempting to get lock on the last plane.

This last one was a tricky pilot. Jay could tell. He was doing maneuvers like crazy. Up, down, left, and right. Jay was having a hard time keeping up. Eventually, the comedian pilot made a mistake, allowing the other pilot to get behind Jay's FN-34. Jay took one hand off the stick, pulling out the picture of Nya. He looked down. At tough times, it brought him back to that day.

 _The kiss was long and passionate. Jay slid his hands onto Nya's hips, while she moved her hands onto his back. Eventually, oxygen became a major issue. They pulled apart, both breathing heavily._

Jay banked the plane up at 90 degrees, turning on his thrusters and afterburners. As expected, the second plane followed suit.

" _Nya… that was-" He stopped and looked over at her. She was purely star-struck, looking at him lovingly. He smiled back at her._

" _Jay, we can't tell Kai about this." She said, still giving him that look._

He quickly brought back the stick, bringing his plane back down. He tried to get a quick lock, but it missed. It was back to cat and mouse, with diving, swirling, and banking.

" _Sure we can! Kai will be fine with this." Jay said, rubbing her shoulder._

 _She shook her head. "He said… h-he said that he would kick in the teeth of whoever dated me, or kissed me, or touched me."_

 _Jay sighed. There was actual worry in her voice. "That's just Kai talking!" He said, trying to reassure her. "I'm his friend, I'm different!"_

 _She sighed, looking away. "I… I guess you're right. I mean, he wouldn't really hurt one of his best friends and the love of his sister, would he?"_

" _No, of course not."_

 _They returned to their kiss, their lips locking once again._

Jay finally had enough. He brought the plane down towards an ocean near the runway. The second plane, seeing an opportunity to strike, followed him. Jay counted down the altitude quietly to himself. "10,000 feet… 9,000 feet…"

" _Nya… I think I'm going to join the Air Force."_

 _She turned towards him. "You what?!"_

" _I think I-"_

 _She cut him off. "No! First Kai runs off to the Army, and now you're leaving me too?! Please, please don't go!"_

" _Nya. I need to do this. You know that war is inevitable. The Air Force is paying good for anyone who can pilot a plane. This is what'll bring the junkyard out of debt!"_

 _She sighed. "Then… please Jay…"_

"4,000 feet…"

" _Yes, Nya?"_

"3,000 feet…"

" _Come back to me in one piece,"_

"2,000 feet…"

" _And don't ever be average."_

"1,000 feet!" Jay yanked back the stick, quickly sliding the plane over the water and bringing it back up. The 2nd pilot, however, was late to the party.

He only had time to eject before his FN-34 slammed into the water below. Jay shouted and yipped. He checked to see if the other pilot had ejected, and then began to make the arrangements of landing.

Down at Air Traffic Control, a Colonel sat with his advisors and aides, reviewing what had just happened. His advisors screamed that Jay be discharged for destroying costly Ninjago weapons technology.

"He destroyed a FN-34! With the threat of war, we need every plane we can get!"Shouted an advisor.

"Now hold on a minute," said the Colonel, holding up a withered finger. "This boy is unorthodox. He's not your average pilot. He's a guerrilla fighter of the air. If we're going to fight a war, we need more men like this."

"But sir, he-"

The Colonel stood up. "I'll make the arrangements for his movement to the 47th immediately." And with that, they all walked out of the building and towards the Colonel's motorcade.

 _A boy and a girl walked down a hill with a blossoming cherry tree on top. One carried a basket and the other carried a quilt. As they walked down the hill, one might have heard the boy saying, "It's all right, Nya. After all, the skies are calling me!"_

 **So, that's Chapter 2 done. Like I said, keep up the constructive criticism. It helps me write knowing that I'm not perfect.**


	3. Chapter 3: Dream Warrior

**Next up is…. COLE! Sorry Zane fans, but he's a story for next chapter. As for the reviews for Chapter 2:**

 **MNC- I've actually been really interested in military history since I could read. And around 20 of my friends or friend's parents are veterans.**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- Thanks! I'll keep a note to stick with the same writing pattern as I go along.**

 **SwimmerNinja13- I'm actually a Jaya fan myself. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter.**

 **TJ & EZ- Yeah, sorry about the cursing. I try to keep it to a minimum, but soldiers aren't exactly known for their clean language. There are, however, a few curse words you won't see in this story.**

 **NinjagymnastgirlK- Thank you for commenting! I've actually been writing action stories since I started a writing class back in 2012.**

 **lovesgod12- Wow. To know that by the second chapter of my first fanfiction here it's already become someone's favorite is mind-boggling.**

 **So, I've got a little challenge for you. I tend to write better when I write about characters and plotlines I like. So, based on chapters 1 through 4, I want you all to guess who my favorite Ninjago character is. I'll announce who it is and who guessed it correctly in Chapter 5 or 6. And on with the story!**

Chapter 3: Dream Warrior

So this was life in the Marines, eh? Sitting in a fort, in the middle of a desert, at 3:00 in the morning with no one to talk to but Private Dareth. Cole chuckled lightly to himself. 'Should've joined the Army with Kai.' He thought jokingly.

He was positioned in a lawn chair on a stone wall with his L-19 rifle in his lap. He had allowed Dareth to curl up in a ball and take a little nap; he wasn't one to tattle. Well, most of the time. There was that one time when he almost spilled to Kai about… eh, it was in the past. Jay had most certainly forgiven him.

He shook his head. His mind was drifting again. He had to focus. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the desert. Nothing had changed. It was exactly the same. Sand, a rock, more sand, another rock, and if you got really, really lucky, and were really, REALLY quiet… you'd sometimes see a little green lizard crawling around on- wait for it- more sand.

Cole slid off his helmet and looked down at his uniform. He was wearing the normal gear: sandy desert camouflaged shirt and pants, with a black vest that was supposedly 'bullet-proof'. It was made by Cyrus Borg, a man that Cole knew Jay whole-heartedly. He chuckled to himself thinking about how the young Walker would react whenever that name was brought up.

A little buzz was heard from the other side of the fort. Cole sighed, trying to brush it off as Marines bantering and drinking in their tents. Then it got closer. It seemed to be circling the wall, and heading towards Cole. As it came nearer and nearer, Cole could make out words.

"Left, right! Left, right! Left, right!"

Cole shook his head and groaned. It was the army brats that had arrived at noon that day. Apparently, they were supposed to take first night shift, but someone had messed with the schedule, which was why Cole was out here, freezing his ass off next to Dareth.

Cole placed his helmet back on his head, and stood with his rifle. He walked over to the edge and kicked Dareth lightly. The man mumbled and groaned before rolling over.

Cole shrugged. "Your funeral, private."

The soldiers reached Cole's position on the wall. A very intimidating woman was standing there, towering over Cole's short stature. It must have been a sight. Two marines, one sleeping and one sitting in a beach chair, supposedly watching over the Fortress that held them all. Cole turned to them, a blank expression on his face. He slowly got to his feet, facing the soldiers. There were 12 in all, from the 3rd Ninjago Engineering Division.

"Are you here to relieve us, ma'am?" Cole asked, straightening out his rifle.

The woman looked at him. The tag on her fatigues said 'Lt. Rocher'. She grimaced. "No. Are you Corporal Cole Brookstone and Private Dareth Turner of the 9th Marine Division?"

Cole's face fell. He had to stay out here? Was she serious? He nodded his head slowly. "Yes, ma'am."

She looked down at Dareth. "Sleeping on the job, are we?" She gave him a sharp kick in the back.

Dareth screamed, sprawling his arms and legs rapidly. "THE STONE ARMY! COLE, GRAB YOUR RIFLE! THEY'RE KICKING ME! SAVE YOURSEEEEELF!" The 12 soldiers behind Lt. Rocher burst into laughter.

"Is this how all you Marines act?!" One hollered.

"Real prepared, boat boy!" Jeered another.

Cole felt his face go red. He wasn't exactly fond of his branch being mocked by outsiders. One time, he'd punched an air force pilot square in the face. He wasn't taking it from a flyboy, so he definitely wasn't going to take it from some random engineering privates from the army.

"Hey, flat-face! Least my branch actually gets to go places. How's your desk suiting you?" That comment from Cole shut the army boys up quick. Lt. Rocher retook authority over the situation.

"Alright, that's enough. Pvt. Turner, you're coming with me to the barracks. Cpl. Brookstone, you're platoon commander ordered you to keep watch for another hour. Then another one of you Devil Dogs will come and take your place."

Both Cole and Dareth stood up straight, although it was noticeably harder for Dareth, who was still suffering from the kick in his back. "Yes ma'am." They said in unison.

Cole plopped back down into his seat. The army boys moved on, taking his only company with him. 'Eh,' Cole thought, 'A watch with Dareth isn't much different from a watch without.' He sighed, keeping his rifle straight.

 _Cole didn't know when he fell asleep, but he did. He found himself in full combat gear, walking down a dust and dirt covered street. Taking in his surroundings, he knew immediately he was in Ninjago City. Half the buildings were destroyed. An 8 wheeler was tipped over and on fire about 40 yards to his left._

 _Cole looked down. At his feet were the corpses of his best friends. Kai was sprawled out, bullet wounds clearly visible in his chest. His eyes were wide open and lifeless. Next to him was Jay. His left eye was gone, and his helmet was cracked open. He heard a whisper from behind him._

" _H-help… me…" Cole knew that voice well, and his heart sunk. He whipped around to find Zane, dying on the ground. A sizable chunk of his neck was missing, and blood was flowing out._

 _Cole felt tears slip down his cheeks. "I… I CAN'T HELP YOU! I CAN'T HELP ANY OF YOU!" He fell to his knees. "I… I'm sorry." He felt Zane grab his shoulder._

" _Help me… C-Cole…" Zane began shaking him, and another pair of hands found their way to his back. He whipped around, and Jay was standing there, still with a hole in his eye._

" _Help us, Cole…" Then Kai joined in._

" _Save me, Cole!"_

" _N-no! I can't!" Cole began screaming, throwing his helmet off. Their collective please became a chant, getting louder and louder._

" _HELP US, COLE! HELP US, COLE!" They cried, shaking him._

"N-NO!" Cole bolted up in his lawn chair.

Another Marine was shaking him. "Hey, buddy! It's 4:00 in the morning. Your shift's over."

Cole brushed himself off and dragged his gloved hands down his face. "Y-yeah. Thanks, man." He shakily got up, grabbing his L-19 and brushing past the other marine.

He was paranoid the whole way back to the barracks. He still had 2 and a half hours left to sleep, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to. He slowly pushed open the door as to not startle the other Marines. He strolled to his bunk, which was the last in the row.

Quickly, he got out of his ACU's and fatigues. He threw on a pair of shorts and a T-Shirt that said 'I break baddies'. He slid into his bunk, quietly staring at the bunk above him, where Dareth usually slept. But Dareth wasn't there this evening, which was odd.

Cole shook the thought out of his head, and allowed his eyes to close. The air conditioning was on, and the steady sound of air blowing out lulled him to sleep.

 _He was standing on top of the hill overlooking Ignacia. Behind him stood a cherry tree, burning to a crisp. He turned back towards the village._

 _Fire. Fire everywhere. The entire village was lit, it seemed. It was as if God had taken a giant Zippo to it. Cole was still in his combat gear, clutching his L-19 loosely in his hands. He noticed someone running towards him. A red shirt and blue jeans, with short black hair. Nya._

" _COLE! EVERYTHING'S GONE!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face._

 _He looked at her, then back at the village, which was still alight. "C-calm down, Nya. W-where's Kai?"_

 _She looked at him, then collapsed into sobs. He hated to see her like this. Cole felt like Nya was the little sister he'd never had. "He's… HE'S IN THERE!" She pointed towards the fire._

 _Cole stopped, shocked. He knew it was a dream. He had to wake up. But he couldn't. "A-and Jay?" She continued pointing at the fire. "Zane?" She looked at him. "All gone, Cole. All gone."_

 _Cole didn't know what to think. A large black mass formed in the flames. It was a line of men, all carrying rifles and torches. Their black uniforms meant they were part of the infamous 'Stone Army', the Dark Island's invasion force. A small voice whispered in Cole's ear. It was Kai's voice._

" _Avenge. Us."_

 _Cole looked at his rifle. A bayonet sat at the tip. He screamed at the top of lungs and begin running down the hill. He began firing blindly at the line before slamming into it. He felt a bullet rip through his hip, but he couldn't care less._

 _He hacked and slashed wildly at everything, anything. He felt something lightly touch him, and he turned, screamed, and jabbed._

 _Everything stopped. Cole looked at her. Her red shirt, now stained with blood, and her blue jeans. She had short, black hair. And she was poised on Cole's bayonet. She fell onto the ground, lifeless._

" _N-no…" The stone army disappeared. The hill disappeared. The flames disappeared._

 _He clutched her tight, letting tears fall silently down his face. He had killed one of his friends. Not the Stone Army. Not the fires. Him. He himself had stabbed Nya Smith, her blood was now on his bayonet._

 _He shouted at the top of his lungs "NYA!"_

Cole shot up, hitting his head on the bunk above him. "Ow!" He shouted, rubbing his now sore forehead. Light flooded the room. Cole checked his clock. "6:21." He said to himself, still shaken. "9 minutes and I'll head to the mess hall."

"Dude… stop talking to yourself. I need my beauty sleep. After all, do you think that all my prettiness happens naturally?" Dareth said groggily.

Cole sighed, chuckling. "You really can be a narcissistic bastard, Dareth."

"And you can be too uptight sometimes, but you don't hear my complaining."

Cole once again chuckled, getting out of his bunk.

He decided the best course of action was to start the day off with a laugh, do what he was supposed to, and try to forget his dream altogether.

 **Wow. Cole's got issues. Well, you know who's next up. Remember to leave a review about what you thought. Constructive Criticism is always allowed. And be sure to leave an answer after next chapter about who you think my favorite Ninja is! Until next time, ADIOS!**


	4. Chapter 4: Cold as Ice

**Chapter 4! This one is going to be on everyone's favorite genius ninja! And for all of you who thought I meant Donatello, you're in the wrong fanfiction category! In response to the reviews for Chapter 3:**

 **lovesgod12- Yeah, that's his weakness. See, what I'm going to try and do is further elaborate on each ninja's weakness. Kai's is not knowing what to fight for, Jay's is missing Nya and something you'll all find out later, Cole's is fear of war and not being able to help others, and you'll read Zane's below.**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- I wanted to give Cole a hug as well when I wrote Chapter 3, but I think you'll want to give Zane a hug after reading this.**

 **MNC- Well, you found all of my little Easter eggs. I neglected to put one in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, so I'll try to slip one in Chapter 5. And I took the liberty of counting. I know 21 veterans and one guy who is in my state's National Guard.**

 **Let's get rolling! Remember, constructive criticism is always allowed and encouraged.**

Chapter 4: Cold as Ice

 _Thump!_ The truck hit another bump on the crowded dirt road in Ouroborus. Though it was smack dab in the middle of northern Ninjago, it felt like a foreign world. The people here dressed differently, were pro-dictatorship, and spoke a different language, known as Serpenti.

Zane sat in the shotgun seat, dressed in a normal outfit: A white collared shirt and brown cargo pants. Usually, he'd be wearing a bullet-proof vest, but his team was undercover today. He rolled his sleeves up. _'Damn, it's a hot one today.'_ He thought, fanning himself with his hand.

Sitting next to him was James McClyde, and in the back seats were Henry "Hank" Jones and Luicha Khatosi. Henry was from southern Ninjago near the Toxic Bogs, and Luicha emigrated from the Dark Island after the 1st War.

"Right gentlemen. HQ tasked us with an important one today." James spoke, an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. "We're supposed to snag an HVT, codenamed Crosspoint. Our spies tell us that he's being shielded by the Serpentine Mafia outside the marketplace."

Henry glanced at Luicha, before fiddling with a dollar bill. "Hey, McClyde, ain't the marketplace one of the most crowded areas in the city?" He spoke.

James nodded, with one hand still on the wheel. "We gotta watch our fire; this guy is to be brought in alive with no civilian casualties. "He's come from the Dark Island," he looked at Luicha in the rear-view mirror- "and he's brought 4 bodyguards with him."

Zane looked down at the glove box, with many thoughts running through his head. He didn't like killing, he did it for his country. Inside of that glove box was a standard issue P12S handgun, which Zane was going to use to kill citizens of Ninjago. They were part of an illegal slave trade and wanted the end of Ninjago's government, sure, but that didn't mean they weren't citizens.

"Zane, what weapons did we get for mission?" Luicha asked, his strong accent cutting through the silence.

Zane nodded. He was the weapons expert of the group. He could work his way through a weapon in 10 seconds. "There's a P12S in the glove box, and another on the dashboard. A L-19 is loaded and underneath my seat. And Hank," He stopped. "There's a dismantled M28 in the trunk, in a black suitcase. I take it you can rebuild that?"

Henry nodded. The M28 was a long-range sniper rifle, capable of hitting targets from 2 and a half miles away.

James tossed the still unlit cigarette out the window. "Right, we're approaching the marketplace. Hank, I'm going to drop you off a block across, in that tall building there. Get to room 14 on the 28th Floor; you should have a clear shot."

James parked the truck on the side of the road, allowing Henry to step out and grab the suitcase. As Hank ran into the building, Zane noticed a large mob of people walking from the marketplace towards them. An armed large mob of people.

Zane turned up the radio, which was blaring music in Serpenti. He avoided looking at the group, instead studying a car across the road. "James, Serpentine Mob, 1 o'clock." He slipped his hand into the glove box, grabbing the handle of the P12S. He saw James reach onto the dashboard and pull out his own handgun. He heard a _click_ as Luicha pulled back the bolt on his L-19.

"If they pass by us, don't engage. There are too many." Zane advised. They were still a good 100 yards from the truck, but they seemed to be looking right at them. Zane counted quickly, finding 31 men exactly.

"Hank, you in position yet?" James asked, trying to keep a calm demeanor. Zane thought he heard Luicha praying in his native language in the back seat. Zane slipped the P12S out of the glove box, flipping off the safety.

"Give me 30 seconds, I'm still adjusting the scope." Was Henry's reply. Zane felt himself begin to sweat, but not from the hot Ouroborus sun. _'I can do this.' He thought to himself. 'You can do it, Zane Julien. The Dark Islanders killed your father, remember? Did he die in vain?'_ Zane looked up at the mob, now 40 yards from the vehicle.

These were not Dark Islanders. These were people of Ninjago. No matter how anti-democracy or different they were.

They were now 10 yards from the truck. 10 easy steps. They all stopped, and things grew quiet. The people at the marketplace stopped what they were doing and came to watch.

"On 3," James said, "I want you to duck your head and let me drive, alright?"

Zane nodded, and Luicha muttered a quick "Yes, alright…" Zane could hear the nervousness of his voice.

"1."

The mob stepped closer, pointing their rifles.

"2."

They were now able to see the whites of the men's eyes.

"3!"

Zane brought his head under the glove box. He heard the screeching of tires and the sound of gun fire. Then things got bumpy. Zane knew what they were rolling over.

He heard James shout, "Return fire, return fire! We're at the compound!" The truck screeched to a halt, and Zane shoved open the door.

He saw a Serpentine with a rifle on his hip. He was shooting, but it was nowhere near accurate. With two easy squeezes of the trigger, he went down. They were a good 30 yards from the compound, all huddled behind their truck.

"Zane, you break right and run for those barrels. I'll break left and try to cut around back. Luicha, you stay and provide covering support with the L-19."

All 3 nodded. "Break!"

Zane took off, firing his handgun blindly at the building. He slid behind the barrels, shoving another magazine into his pistol. A well placed bullet ricocheted off the top of a barrel. Zane ducked down.

"Sniper on top of the compound! SNIPER!" Another bullet hit the barrels. Zane was able to peak at the top of the roof. He saw the sniper just duck behind a wall on the 3rd Floor.

He heard a buzzing through his radio. "Zane, it's Hank. If you can draw his fire for 5 seconds, I can get him down."

Zane nodded, preparing himself. "Right. 5 seconds." He took off from behind cover, running right for the front door of the compound. A man stepped out, fiddling with his rifle. Zane dove, rolling on the ground, and got into a kneeling position.

 _BAM!_ The bullet was released from Zane's weapon. He heard a satisfying _Thwap!_ as the bullet made contact with the man's neck. He was alive, but wouldn't last another 30 seconds from all the blood loss.

Another crack in the distance and a startled cry from the 3rd Floor told Zane that Henry had hit his target. Zane continued running into the compound, sliding yet another clip into his P12S. He made his way up the stairs to the second floor. A man had his back turned to Zane, firing out a window. He was dressed in all black, a Stone Soldier. Zane quietly stepped to the man. He placed the barrel against the back of the man's head and pulled the trigger.

It was gruesome. Bits of brain landed on the wall in front of him, and a pool of blood slipped out of the man's now blown apart face. (A/N Yeah, sorry about the gore. There'll be some of it, because war isn't exactly pretty, and I rated it T for a reason.) Zane looked down at him, hesitating, before moving on. Another man in Black had heard the gunshot and was rushing down the stairs.

"Yakov?" He called.

"Jah!" Zane called back. (A/N I know there's no official language for the Stone Soldiers, so I'm going to make it up as I go along, and I'm calling it Darese. Translations will be at the end of chapters.)

When he rounded the corner, the second man was met with a kiss from lead. His jaw was ripped off by Zane's well placed shot. Zane searched the man, finding a home-made stun grenade. He took it off the man's vest and tossed it up to the 3rd floor. With the sounds of confused men shouting and gunshots, Zane knew he could safely make his way up.

He entered the room, and men were sprawling around, slumping against walls and knocking over tables. _Bam! Bam!_ The last two bodyguards fell. But still no sign of Crossroads.

He moved to the next room. He booted in the door, and low in behold… was a child.

He lowered his handgun. The room was nice-looking. It had a king-sized bed, a closet, and its own bathroom, which was quite luxurious compared to the majority of rooms in Ouroborus.

"Wey tu as maja? Wey tu ar paetens?" Zane asked in Darese, trying to beckon the child over.

The child looked shaken, and his eyes were wet. He wore a large coat, and had his hands in his pockets. He motioned towards the closet, which had a small amount of blood coming from under the door.

Zane yanked it open, and looked down. Inside was a man with a gaping hole in the side of his head. He looked to be Darese, and in his hand was a revolver. Suicide. But that wasn't what concerned Zane. What concerned Zane was the fact that tattooed on his neck, in Darese, was the word 'Stertral'.

Crossroads.

Zane grimaced, flipping on his earpiece. "Crossroads is dead. Repeat, HVT is dead. Coming back out." He turned to find the child looking back at him, with a small button in his hands. I wire went from the button into his coat.

Zane knew exactly what had happened. He felt sorry for the poor kid, who had an upset look on his face. He was trying to look tough, but came across as hurt. Because the child had a bomb in his coat.

"Murte a te rietejessnun!" He screamed in Darese.

Zane looked at the kid, his P12S still in his hands. He didn't want to do it. But if he distracted the kid, and acted fast enough…

He looked at the child. "Do you speak Ninjagan?" He asked. The child slowly nodded. "Th-that's good." Zane smiled weakly at him. "I… I know what you've got to do. And I kn-know you're scared."

Zane attempted to hold back tears, and tried to use his calm demeanor to overshadow his emotions. "How old are you, little one?"

The child shakily held up both hands. On one, he held up all five digits. On the next, which was still holding the button, he held up four, using his thumb to keep the button from falling.

"N-nine, huh?" Zane nodded, continuing to smile. "S-so, I don't usually do this… but I know I'm about to die." He choked up a bit, and hoped that the child hadn't noticed.

"S-so, I want you to count to three for me, in whatever language you want. In fact, we'll count together. A-and I want you to do it on three, so I'll be prepared." Zane said, still clutching his P12S.

The child nodded, almost smiling at Zane. "R-ready?" Zane asked. The child nodded once more.

"Unei…" They said together.

"Dosei…" Zane raised his handgun. _BAM!_ The shot echoed through the room and out into the courtyard where James and Luicha were still huddled, waiting for their comrade to come back out.

"Tresei." said Zane.

The child looked stunned for a moment, looking down at the gaping hole in his upper-chest. He almost fell, but Zane ran forward and caught him, hugging him close.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Zane said, breathing heavily and allowing the tears to run down his face and onto the child's blood stained coat.

Zane continued the phrase, "I'm sorry," in both Darese and English, setting the child gently on the floor.

After three minutes, Luicha and James became worried for their friend. They moved swiftly through the house, finding the bodies that Zane had left. "Hank, you see what happened to Zane?" James asked into his earpiece.

"Oh yeah, I saw." Was all Henry replied, sounding a little shaken.

They moved on to the third floor. The last room had its door slightly adjacent.

Luicha went in first, L-19 at the ready. What he found, though, didn't warrant any gunfire. He saw Zane, kneeling over the body of a young child. In the closet was a man who had clearly committed suicide.

James walked in after him. All in the room were silent. James saw Zane wipe off his face before standing up.

"A-alright, let's go." Zane said, a calm look on his face. James and Luicha knew something was off. He had lost the edge in his voice.

"Yeah, sure Zane. Go meet up with Hank back at the building. We'll catch up." Was all James replied. Zane walked out slowly, heading down the stairs.

Luicha stood there, studying the scene further. "What do you think happened here, McClyde?"

James continued to stare at the boy, who had been placed with his arms folded neatly across his chest and his eyes closed. "Well, Luicha, some things are best left unanswered."

They both walked out, making a silent pact not to mention the subject any further.

 **Chapter 4 is rolled out and DONE! Don't forget that little competition I brought up last chapter. I'll give you until chapter 6 until I announce it, so people have more time to guess. Darese Translations:**

 **Jah- Yes**

 **Wey tu as maja? Wey tu ar paetens?- Where is your mother? Where are your parents?**

 **Stertral- Crossroads**

 **Murte a te rietejessnun!- Death to the unrighteous! [A battle cry often used by the Stone Army]**

 **Unei- One**

 **Dosei- Two**

 **Tresei- Three**

 **Constructive criticism is always allowed, so please leave what you liked or didn't like in the reviews. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Homefront

**Chapter 5! We're going to be taking a little break from the four soldiers of the story and move a little closer to home: IGNACIA! You didn't think I'd forget, did you? So, I'm not sure I did too well on this chapter, so please, leave a review with anything you liked or didn't like so I can know what to improve on or keep. In response to chapter 4's reviews:**

 **Don't forget about my little competition. You all have until next chapter to guess who it is. Now, without further delay, here's Chapter 5 of 'Warriors of Steel'!**

Chapter 5: The Homefront

Boredom. They say it cuts through a person like a knife. A wise man once said that boredom was the cause of all our struggles… or was that the crazy man who lived by the dumpster further down the road? Nya couldn't remember. But what she could remember was that she had nothing to do.

She had made all the antiques for the day; 35 katanas, 24 kunais, 2 sets of armor, and 2 shurikens. Then, when she did that, she polished the tables, washed the dishes, went out for a jog down the longest pathway she could find, and chatted with the neighborhood ladies about the gossip and the upcoming war.

Nya stepped into the house, sweating from both the nervous chatter of the ladies and the jog. She took a look at her digital watch. 11:37 A.M. "Are you kidding me?" She said aloud, groaning. She wished Kai was here to help her make more antiques. She wished Jay was here so she could have someone to talk to. She wished Zane was here so they could talk politics. She wished Cole was here so they could both enjoy the cake she had in the fridge.

She went up to her room, plopping on her bed and pulling out her latest Orange UPhone 7. Using her thumbs, she typed in her password and went to "Messages". She began to text her friend Soleil to see if she wanted to come and hang out.

"hey, what u doin" Nya texted, not even bothering to fix her spelling mistakes. She stared at the phone, waiting patiently for it to buzz, signaling Soleil's reply.

After a few more minutes of boredom, the phone buzzed. Nya picked it up, reading Soleil's reply.

" bro's graduation party. y?"

Nya quickly texted back, her fingers flying across the screen. "can u come over soon? im bored"

She waited for the buzz as usual, but instead got a steady ringing. Checking the caller ID, she found it was her texting friend. "Heyo." She said, getting up to grab a glass of juice.

"What's this about you being bored? I thought you said you liked being alone in that house!" Soleil shouted over the sound of music.

"Well, I was wrong. So sue me." Nya said, strolling into the kitchen.

Soleil chuckled a few times. "I'll be sure to inform the boys of this fact when I get the chance. I can be there i-in an hour, no earlier." She said, sounding a little slurred.

"Are… are you drunk?" Nya inquired. "What drinks are they serving you-"

"Gotta go!" Was all Nya heard before the line went dead. She sighed, pulling open the fridge. _'Classic Soleil.'_

She reached for the juice, but spotted something more interesting behind it. A bottle of wine. She pulled it out, studying it. She was 19 and 3/4ths, just barely over Ninjago's drinking age limit of 19 and a half.

She shut the fridge, opening the bottle and waltzing to the living room. She took a quick sip, feeling the bitter cold liquid rush down her throat. She flipped on the television, and was delighted to find that her favorite movie was on, 'Catabalca'.

She must've made Jay watch that movie with her a hundred times. She giggled, taking more wine. She began to imitate the lead actress in the film, Elgred Icebergman. "Oh, Richard! When I said I would never leave you…"

The other actor spoke. "And you won't. We'll always have Ninjago City. Here's looking at you, k-"

The television shut off, along with the lights. "Aw, dammit!" Nya cried in despair. "Which fool hit the electrical pole this time?" She waltzed around, clearly affected by the amount of wine in her system. She set the bottle down, looking at the clock. 1:12 P.M.

Nya looked confused for a moment, still in a drunken stupor. She decided it would be best if she went up to her room and took a quick nap until Soleil arrived.

About 45 minutes later, Nya was awakened with a sharp "WAKE UP, YOU SLEEPY-HEAD!"

She was a little less shocked by that then by the fact that Soleil was in her bedroom, watching her sleep.

"H-how long were you there?" She asked, rubbing her forehead.

"About 5 minutes. Oh, and I found this." She held up a half empty bottle of red wine. "Did you drink all of this, Nya?"

Nya nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off the bottle.

"This ain't okay, Nya. Do you think Kai would allow this? What about Jay?" Soleil questioned.

"I'll have you know that Jay and I drink all the time." She said, still slightly affected by the amount of wine she had consumed.

Soleil raised her eyebrows. "Well. That would explain a lot."

Nya stood up, shakily. "L-let's just go downstairs, yeah? We'll finish the bottle together!"

Soleil sighed, shaking her head. "Alright. I saw some electricians up the street fixing a pole, and they looked about done when I came here."

Nya nodded, leaning on her friend for support. "We can turn the TV back on. I have 'Catabalca' on!"

"Ugh, Nya, you made me watch that movie, like, 100 times!"

Nya giggled. "I know, but what's 101?"

They sat down on the couch, and Nya tossed Soleil the remote. "I think it's channel 44."

"Ugh, me and my fat fingers!" Soleil yelled, as she tried to press the button twice, but instead got 434.

Ninjago Afternoon News came on, and the big headline on the bottom of the screen was: 'Ninjago At War: What you can do to help!'

Nya nearly choked on her own saliva as Soleil turned up the television with the remote.

"Yes, it does appear that 22 years of peace is now over, as the second Darese-Ninjagan War begins to broil up. Now everyone is asking: What are the causes? We go to Chet Chipman for more. Chet?"

Another man in a suit appeared on the screen. "Thanks Lucy. The Darese reasoning is based on a body found in Ouroborus that apparently was one of Lord Garmadon's top advisors. The authorities here in Ninjago claim he committed suicide, but the Darese government believes that we as a nation are lying."

He stopped to take a breath, before continuing. "The Ninjagan government claims that a FN-34 Fighter Jet was shot out of the sky in Ninjagan airspace by Darese anti-aircraft missiles. But the reasoning at this point is over. Diplomatic missions from both sides have failed, and war 'is inevitable' as put by Lord Montgomery Garmadon of the Dark Island."

Soleil shakily turned off the TV, knowing that Nya didn't need to hear anymore of this. She turned towards her friend, who was huddled up with her knees pressed against her chest. She seemed pretty close to tears, which was extremely unlike her, being the tomboy that she was.

"Ah, sweetie, c'mere." Soleil said, going over and giving Nya a hug.

"W-what if they get Zane? He's Special Operations! What if they put him behind enemy lines and he gets killed! And Cole! Ninjago's gonna launch a counter invasion, so what if he gets killed there?!"

Soleil flinched at the mention of Cole, who she herself had slight feelings for.

"And Jay! You heard what they said, they shot a plane right out of the sky!"

She stopped for a moment, letting her knees fall back to the floor.

"W… w-what if they take Kai from me?" and that was all it took to push Nya over the edge. She collapsed onto the ground, sobbing as Soleil put her arms around her and tried to comfort her to sleep.

 **Wartime! Next chapter, I reveal who my favorite Ninja is to all you reviewers! We'll also get a bit more Kailor, but nothing too big… yet! Constructive criticism is always allowed, so tell me what you thought, even if you hated it, I won't judge. Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Dictator

**I'm back ladies and gents! Chapter 6 is rolling along, and this is, as promised, the chapter I announce my favorite ninja and the winners of my little contest. But you still have to wait until the end of the chapter to find it out, because I'm a tease. In response to the reviews from Chapter 5:**

 **MNC- Another one of my Easter eggs has been spotted! You, my friend, are on a roll.**

 **MidnightShard99- Thanks for pointing that out! If you hadn't, I would've gone through the rest of the story looking like a fool.**

 **NinjagymnastgirlK- I'm glad you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy typing it!**

 **Dragonwhisperer726- I'd be glad to take you up on your offer sometime, so we'll be in touch if I do need someone else to write a chapter. I'm also looking for someone who can draw a cover for this story and other oneshots or sequels that may follow in this universe [HINT HINT DRAWERS AND ARTISTS!]**

 **And onward we go!**

Chapter 6: The Dictator

 _Climp, clomp, climp, clomps._ The sound of boots smacking against a marble floor caused the two soldiers guarding the door to snap to attention.

The man who walked by them stopped, nodded in one's direction, and pushed open the door. The man who walked by them lived for respect, fear, and death. The man who walked by them knew nothing but agony and suffering his whole life.

The man who walked by them was Lord Garmadon, self proclaimed dictator and supreme leader over all of the Dark Island. He wore black fabric military suit, with medals fixed by his right shoulder pad. His cap was also black, with the Darese flag plastered on the front.

He stepped into his bedroom, looking over at the 6 guards who secured the windows and doors and were armed with the standard issue DR-UneiDosei Goonsult, or DR-21 Assault Rifle.

He marched over to his gold laden mirror and peered into the face of a man who had seen death and blood on another scale. He fixed his suit's collar and brushed a strand of grey hair off of his forehead. Today was important. He had to look official.

He could've sworn he heard a woman shouting from outside of his door, and this was confirmed when one of the guards opened the door and peered into the room.

"Lord Garmadon, sir, your wife would like to speak to you. Shall she be let in?" He asked, his voice quaking in fear.

Garmadon turned in a 180, looking down at the soldier from across the room. "What do you think this is, a prison? This is her own bedroom, for goodness' sake! Let her in immediately!"

The soldier jumped and nodded, stepping out. Into the room came one Misako Garmadon with an angry look on her face. Following behind her was Garmadon's brother Wu, who Garmadon had allowed to stay at his palace ever since his monastery in Ninjago had been destroyed in a fire.

"I tried to stop her, brother, but she wouldn't listen." Said Wu, a calm demeanor still on his face and in his voice.

Garmadon smiled a warm smile, something rarely seen from the vicious dictator. "That's why I love her." He responded, while Wu nodded.

"You declared war on Ninjago?! Are you insane, Montgomery? Do you realize what will happen to the country, our family, our son-?" Misako was stopped by Garmadon putting up a finger.

"Don't worry my dear, I've been preparing for this war for months. Karesh, God bless him, and his death only helped me speed up the process." He continued smiling confidently, placing his cap on a dresser next to him. "You see, my love, we'll have Ninjago City in the next month. We'll fly the flag of this Island over Borg Towers for everyone to see for miles! Once we have that, it will only be a matter of time. We already have the men and women of Ouroborus on our side."

Misako felt a small tear slip from her cheek. "And how many lives will be lost before you accomplish this whole plan of yours, Montgomery?"

"Oh, the soldiers signed up to die for this land! It matters not how many lives are lost on the front. What matters is what will happen when we rule both continents on this planet of ours." Garmadon said, stepping forward.

"What if it were Lloyd losing his life?" Misako said, her voice wavering. She excused herself to get some tea, leaving Wu and Garmadon standing opposite of each other.

"This is why you like her, yes?" Wu said, grinning and stroking his beard slowly.

"Oh, quit your tormenting Wu. You know that victory will be ours by Christmas. We have over 4 million men at our disposal, ready to land on the shores of Ninjago. Besides, annexation is out of the question. I just believe it's time to show those stuck-up Ninjagans who's boss." Garmadon said, placing his cap back on his head and standing tall.

"Brother, you forget that Ninjago is my home as well. To see so many people, both Darese and Ninjagan, perishing, it hurts my heart to no end." Wu responded, his hand on his bow staff, as usual.

Garmadon considered this for a moment, grimacing at his memories. "If you had seen the things I've seen, Wu, your heart would be shattered into as many pieces as there are stars in the sky."

They both sat in silence for some time, with no sound but the birds from the open windows and the air conditioning shutting down.

"Now," Garmadon finally cut through the silence, "I have a speech to prepare for. You can either join me or remain here, but it will be a historic moment so I wouldn't miss it."

"You? Historic? I wouldn't bet my torched monastery on it." Wu responded, laughing softly.

"Remind me to have you executed." Said Garmadon, a smirk on his own face.

Garmadon marched out, and was greeted by PIXAL, who was the servant of the house. PIXAL was a small gift from Cyrus Borg after Garmadon had done a few 'political favors' for him to help with his competition.

"Well, it's a fine afternoon. Right, Lord Garmadon?" PIXAL asked, a smile plastered across her silver face.

"Please, PIXAL, call me Montgomery. You're part of the family now, servant or not." Was Garmadon's response.

PIXAL nodded. "Does Lady Garma- I mean, Misako want any tea?"

"I do believe she already got some for herself, but I'm sure my brother would love some."

PIXAL nodded, and rushed to the kitchen, allowing Garmadon to walk onward. He stopped once more by his son's room. As usual, his door was shut tightly, and all 6 guards that were supposed to be inside were on a smoke break outside in the hallway.

They all snapped to attention when he stopped in front of the door. He turned to the closed entrance, and thought about knocking. It seemed like ages since he had talked to or seen his child of 19 years. He shook the thought from his head, and marched onward, further and further down the hallway.

About 4,000 miles away, on an aircraft carrier off the coast of southern Ninjago, 15 men were huddled around a map of a compound surrounded by dense and think forests. Out of these men, about 9 were members of Ninjago's high navy command. 2 were Navy snipers, and 4 were members of Ninjago's Naval Special Operations Group, or NNSOG.

These four men were James McClyde, Henry "Hank" Jones, Luicha Khatosi, and Zane Julien. The last of these four was huddled in front of the map, taking it all in.

' _Dense forests, good cover. A large hill nearby, sniping perch. A watch tower, trouble.'_ He thought, raising a hand like he was a student at school.

"Commander Hillsburg, sir. There's a watch tower visible in the satellite image. If we go in balls to the wall, we'll be shot down by whatever MG or Sniper they put up there."

The Officer opposite Zane studied the map further, rubbing his chin. "Good catch, Lieutenant Julien. What do you propose?"

Zane now had the attention of his 3 squadmates. "W-well, I propose that Sergeant Jones take up position on the hill, and eliminate any guards in the tower." He pointed to the dense brush that surrounded the compound. "Then, Captain McClyde, Sergeant Khatosi and I can use the brush as cover without risk of being spotted."

Another Officer interrupted. "Now that's all fine and dandy, but how do you plan to sneak 3 heavily armed men into a compound owned by the world's most vicious leader?"

Zane looked around the map further, finding something that caught his eye on the west corner of the building. "That," he pointed at a truck seemingly unloading something into the side of the main building, "That looks like a loading dock."

Hillsburg nodded. "Yeah, our intelligence agents on the inside tell us that it takes in shipments from a new truck every two minutes."

"Then we can ride in the back of the trucks and get out when it begins unloading!" Zane said, standing up straight.

He saw Luicha shake his head. "No, guards check truck front to back when it is entering Garmadon's compound. We will be spotted before we even get in gate." He responded, his accent cutting through the room like a sword.

Now it was McClyde's turn to jump in. "Then we'll cut a hole in the side of the gate, sneak around to the loading area, clear it, conduct the mission, and head back to the Landing Zone, which is…" he dragged his finger to the corner of the map, "here." He laid his index finger onto a pond about half a mile outside of the gate.

Commander Hillsburg stood up straight, brushing off his Naval Officer's coat. "Well done, gentlemen." He placed his cap on his head before continuing.

"We may just be able to pull this assassination off."

 **Well! Will they pull off their assassination attempt? Will Zane's plan succeed? Will I ever write another chapter that's actually on one of the original 4 ninja? Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the icing on top of this typed-out cake, the answer and winners to the 'Warriors of Steel' Competition! So, the correct answer is…..**

 **JAY! And those who got it right are: The Mayor of Ninjago City and MidnightShard99! Even if you didn't get it right, thank you for participating. Remember, constructive criticism is always allowed!**


	7. Chapter 7: Out on the Front

**I'm glad you all enjoyed chapter 6! At first I was going to put Garmadon as just purely savage, but that didn't suit him well. In response to the reviews of Chapter 6:**

 **MNC- You may call me whatever you please. Your suspicions may be correct, but you'll have to wait and see!**

 **LiaLia15- Glad to know that you enjoy the story, and I'll keep writing until it's done!**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- Garmadon IS really cool. It's a shame they got rid of him.**

 **MidnightShard99- Well, I'm glad I have you here. If I didn't, I'd go along saying 'bow' instead of 'bo' and 'Soleil' instead of 'Seliel'. Thanks.**

 **DragonWhisperer762- As I said with MNC, your suspicions may be correct, but you have to wait!**

 **Now, back to the Ninja!**

Chapter 7: Out on the Front

The 12th Ranger Regiment of Ninjago. One of the most prestigious units on the face of the planet. Kai had never known he'd have ended up here. He would have expected to end up somewhere in the desert with the 3rd Engineer Division, hiding out in a fort in the middle of a desert surrounded by bone-headed Marines.

But no, Kai had lucked out. Apparently, his sergeant had recommended it to Ninjago High Command, and here he was. Out in a fort, in the middle of a desert, surrounded by bone-headed Marines. Kai sighed as he fiddled with his tan and browned camouflage helmet. He was stationed at an airfield in the northwest corner of the Sea of Sand, which was a hotspot for Marines, Rangers, Air Force, and Special Operations. For now, though, it was mostly Marines, as well as the pilots of the 47th Interceptor Wing, of which Jay was a member. Kai reminded himself to find the brown-haired comedian once they got back.

Private Skylar Chen walked up to him in tan ACUs. "Well, Smith? Are we rolling or what?" That was another thing that was lucky about it. Skylar had also been recommended for the Unit, and had befriended Kai along the way.

Behind her stood a fully geared up Lars Panrocka, who was from Ninjago City. "Yeah Kai, the longer we wait, the more Darese men flood into the coast, and into Ouroborus."

Kai stood up, grabbing his L-19 rifle. "Yeah, yeah, let's go. Who's driving the Armored Car this time?"

Skylar pondered the question. "I think its Mac's turn to drive, and I'm on the turret." She answered, trying to conceal her satisfaction over being able to handle the large mounted gun.

"Then let's hit it! I call shotgun!" shouted Lars, bolting towards the truck. Kai slid in after him, choosing to share the backseat with some random Marine that had been paired with them.

Mac looked at Kai through the rear-view mirror. "So, where's your girlfriend?" he asked, in reference to Skylar.

"She's not my girlfriend, Mac. You of all people should know that." Kai responded, as he laid down his rifle onto his lap.

"Well, the fact that I caught you staring at her with wide eyes during breakfast tells me that something is definitely going on."

Kai crossed his arms slightly and pouted. "Well, there's not, and that's final."

Mac threw up his hands, and went back to focusing on the GPS in front of him. In the next couple of minutes, Kai saw Skylar slip into the turret, which was a .50 Caliber MG443. She pulled back the bolt, smiling as it slid back into place.

"Alright, let's roll." She said, grinning.

"Hold your horses, Skylar. We can't go anywhere until that AT-45 Tank moves." Mac said, finally setting the GPS on the dashboard of the vehicle. "Besides, we need that AT-45. The Darese Anti-Vehicle rockets are a real pain in the ass to our standard vehicles. But they can't pierce the AT-45, no sir."

Kai rested his head against the door, waiting for the attack to happen. After about 12 minutes, a loud groaning was heard as the tank started rolling out the front gate. It was followed by 5 armored cars and an Armored Fighting Vehicle, or AFV.

The voice of Colonel Rogers, who was leading the fight, came through the truck's radio. "Alright ladies and gentlemen. We'll be in Ouroborus in about 20 minutes. While there is truth to the rumor that we're fighting the Stone Army, the majority of OpFor forces are going to be the pro-dictatorship armed militias. They are joined by about 2,000 Darese soldiers spread throughout the city and 20 EG-56's, which is the standard Darese tank." The Colonel took a pause to breath before continuing. "Let's go make our families proud, alright?"

Kai heard whoops from the other vehicles, and he thought he heard Skylar whistle in approval. He flipped off the safety on his L-19, adjusting the small scope he had on top. He thought he could hear Lars praying quietly in the front seat. He didn't blame him. They were about to head into a hell storm and fight off thousands of Militiamen and Stone Army warriors.

After driving another 15 minutes, the Rangers could all see the city of Ouroborus in the distance. Kai checked his watch. 1:25.

"They say this city was built in the name of the First Spinjitsu Master, father of Lord Garmadon." Mac said as they entered the city's large gateway.

"Nah man, that's a buncha horse crap. Spinjitsu ain't real, it's just a buncha mumbo jumbo and magical illusions." responded Lars, who had eased up a bit since they entered the city's gate.

"Hey man, I agree with you. God is the only God for me, y'know?" Mac said, and he and Lars fist bumped and laughed.

"Are the two idiots in the car chatting it up again?" Skylar called down.

Mac shouted back up, without taking his eyes off the tight dirt road in front of them. "Nah, Kai's still silent."

Lars burst into laughter, shaking his head and fondling his L-19.

Mac, seeing that he was ahead, decided to go further. "In fact, I bet that if Kai-." _THWAP!_

A large amount of blood splattered on Kai's vest, the windshield, and Lars as Mac's head was split open like it had just been hit with an axe. His head slammed forward onto the wheel, causing it to emit a loud _BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!_

"JESUS CHRIST, MAN!" Lars began freaking out as the car continued to roll forward.

"SNIPER!" Skylar called as she span around the turret and fired like a madman. She didn't know what she was firing at; she just aimed for the rooftops and hoped that she hit her target.

Inside the car, Kai, Lars, and the Marine were hopping around like madmen.

"HE'S DEAD MAN! HE'S FREACKIN' DEAD!" Lars shouted.

"I KNOW, I KNOW!" Called back the Marine.

"Calm down, dammit! We're still moving!" Kai yelled at them.

Indeed the car was lurching forward at a steady 30 miles per hour, heading towards a bin. At the last second, Lars swung the blood and brain covered wheel right, sending them into the alley. The armored car behind them, unsure of what was happening, followed them.

"No, no! Go back! The sniper's still up there!" Skylar called down to them.

"I can't! His foot's on the gas!" Lars called back. The cars re-entered a street on the other side of the alley, and Lars spun the wheel left.

A man with a DR-21 stepped out of a building, and was promptly gunned down by Skylar. Another man came out, then another, and another. It seemed like they were being shot at from every direction.

The Marine, tired of being stuck in a runaway truck, moved his arms to the driver's seat in front of him. With his left arm, he opened the Car's door, and with his right, he shoved Mac's body out of the car and onto the road.

"THERE! PROBLEM SOLVED! GET IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, YOU INCOMPETENT ARMY BRAT!" He shouted, and Lars moved into the blood covered seat.

"Alright, we're about 70 feet from the rest of the convoy! Kai, can you radio in the Colonel?!" Lars shouted over the sound of Skylar ripping apart enemies with the MG443. Kai could see that some were Stone Warriors, but most were indeed militiamen.

"Y-yeah! I can radio in Richards!" He leaned forward and picked up the radio. "Colonel Richards, sir!" he shouted, waiting for a reply.

"Assault Vehicle 3? Is that you?" Came back the reply.

"Yes sir! AV3 and AV4 are stuck in heavy gunfire about a block west of the convoy! We'll try to get back to you, b-."

Kai was interrupted by Lars screaming, "ANTI-VEHICLE ROCKET! ANTI-VEHICLE ROCKET!"

Kai heard a _whoosh_ and a crash, and everything went black.

When Kai woke up, he was in some sort of shoddy apartment building that looked abandoned. Bullets were whizzing above him, and he heard shouts in both Ninjagan and Darese. His helmet and rifle were missing, which showed off his spiky red hair.

His vision cleared a little more, and he saw more Rangers at the apartment windows firing out. He also saw Lars screaming in agony across the room, with Skylar sitting next to him, trying to calm him down.

One of the men covering the windows saw he was awake and kneeled next to him. "You alright!?" He shouted over the massive amount of gunfire.

Kai gave a steady nod. "Yeah, I can still fight!" He tried to sit up, but felt a sharp pain in his upper chest.

"Easy there, pal!" Called the Ranger, looking just above his tactical vest. "Damn man! You sure you're alright!?"

Kai looked down and saw that a small fragment of metal had lodged itself under his collarbone. He groaned in pain, and once again tried to sit up.

"Woah, woah! Keep it down! The convoy is 400 yards out, but they're stuck in gunfire, so we have to do emergency surgery!" He called over a man with a red cross on the side of his helmet.

"Alright," said the man, who spoke slowly to Kai. He took out a needle. "I need to inject this into you to operate. It'll put you to sleep instantly!"

Kai nodded. "J-just get this piece of scrap metal out of my chest." The Ranger nodded and jabbed the needle into his lower abdomen, which caused Kai to fall back in pain before drifting again to sleep.

He once again woke up, and was being carried through an alley by the Ranger from before. He pieced together that these were the guys who were in the car behind them, and had tailed them since they turned down the alley.

"I… I feel better now! I-I can walk again!" Kai shouted at the man. "Let me fight, dammit!"

The Ranger stopped behind a car and put down Kai. He handed him his L-19 rifle. "Can you shoot?" He asked. They were still under gunfire, but less than there was before.

Kai nodded, standing up and pulling back the bolt on the rifle. "Yeah, where are Skylar and Lars?" He asked shakily.

"Oh, Private Chen and Private Panrocka? They're a little further behind us, covering us from the back."

Kai nodded. "Alright, what's the plan?"

The Ranger pointed towards an overpass that was 200 yards from them. "That's where we link up with the convoy. Then we get the hell out of here and come back with more firepower."

Kai nodded, coughing a couple times and feeling at the bandages on his collarbone. "Then what are we waiting for?" He felt around his vest to make sure he still had a radio, before following the Ranger north.

They went forward another 100 feet, before hearing a _Crack!_ from the overpass. Kai saw it. The Ranger in front of him went down like a sack of potatoes, a bullet lodged in his heart. Kai saw the massive amount of Stone Warriors, all dressed in black, running towards them from the overpass. Kai saw the EG-56 also on top of the overpass, its barrel glistening under the hot Ouroborus sun.

No words, just actions. Kai raised the L-19, flipping the rate of fire to fully automatic, and squeezed the trigger. Stone Soldier after Stone Soldier fell. Kai ran behind an old beat up car at the bottom of the overpass, and flipping on the radio.

"HELLO, THIS IS AV3! WE NEED HELP! I NEED HELP! PLEASE, ANYONE! HELP ME!" Kai put his head in his hands, hearing no responses. He knew he was going to die. The convoy was too far. His fellow Rangers were too far. There was no way he could get out of it.

"I can help."

The familiar voice from the radio cut through Kai like a knife. He felt like crying with joy. He heard the sweet sound of an FN-34 engine nearing in the distance.

"This is Joker 34, inbound to assist. Please mark coordinates."

Kai smiled widely, still huddled behind a car.

"The target is at 34, 56, 71. And Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

That was all Kai said before the large boom caused the overpass behind him to collapse into nothing more than dust, concrete, and the bodies of Stone Soldiers.

Kai sat there, with his L-19 in his lap, sitting behind a car with the corpse of his team mate just sitting there in front of it. The satisfaction of getting vengeance on what they've taken. It felt great. It always felt great. When Nya was 6 and she had her bike stolen, Kai beat up the kid and stole his 500 dollars. And it felt great. When Cole had gotten into a fight at the local bar with some drunkards, Kai had knocked every one of them senseless. And it felt great. Kai gave a soft smile as the convoy approached him from an alleyway.

So this is what he was fighting for.

 **What did you all think? Leave everything I did wrong or right in a review. Constructive Criticism is always allowed in my stories! ADIOS!**


	8. Chapter 8: Crash and Burn

**Chapter 8! Man, we are rolling through this! Before I get to the reviews, let's all give a special thanks and a round of applause for DragonWhisperer762 for making the new Cover Image! It looks outstanding, right? Any who, the reviews for Chapter 8:**

 **NinjagymnastgirlK- It makes me happy to make you happy, NGGK. I'm glad that I can bring joy with my stories, because I enjoy writing them!  
DragonWhisperer762- Be as unprofessional as you want. BTW, thanks for making the Cover Image! Big round of applause for you!  
LiaLia15- I'm glad you like the chapter! I try to be as realistic as possible with my war stories, so if you see any inaccuracies, and this goes for everyone, make sure to report it to me so I can adapt in further stories.**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- Intensity is my middle name! Actually, that's not right…**

 **MidnightShard99- Oh, believe me, there will be at least one big battle that will most likely act as the conclusion to "Warriors of Steel". And you can expect a sequel and many one shots to come based in this universe.**

 **MNC- I'm happy that I can invoke such reactions in my readers while writing these stories! [Also, if I may be so bold to ask: When is the next update for the Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier? Just wondering, I know you're working on Rehearsal of Danger and all.]**

 **And onward, to flight!**

Chapter 8: Crash and Burn

Jay sat in the cockpit of his FN-34. Below him sat the vast desert known to the world as the Sea of Sand. About 40 miles to his west was the City of Ouroborus, where only 2 days earlier had Jay taken down an overpass to save one of his best friends.

He banked the plane right, sending himself back towards the Hanscom Airfield where both he and Kai were stationed. When he first met with Kai two days earlier, they had the normal reunion: A bro-hug, some jokes, the _'What have you been doing'_ -s, then spending lunchtime together in the Mess Hall, just talking like there wasn't a war going on around them.

Jay steadied the plane and looked out his window to the right, where his teammates from the 47th Interceptor Air Wing were flying in their own customized FN-34s. There were three of them: Captain Louis Karney, who the rest of the team called "Karnage", Airman Bobby Jole, who they called "Piano", and Huey. Huey didn't talk much, and he didn't have a nickname. He just sort of showed up, and guys were talking about how he was the best in his old squadron, acing all of his reconnaissance missions.

And Senior Airman Jay Walker? Well, he was known as 'Joker', because he could always ease the tensions of a flight mission by cracking a joke. Together, they made up Squadron D. Jay had quite a few jokes to make about that name.

Karnage radioed in. "Squadron D, radio check."

"Piano, radio check."

"Joker, radio check."

"Huey, radio check."

Jay sighed. He knew that was about all they were going to get him to say for the next 30 minutes.

"Alright," Karnage spoke once more into the radio. "HQ's got another good one for us. They're saying that 3 LH-44's are heading towards Ninjago City from the north. Our job is to stop them before they get past Hanscom." The LH-12 was the standard Darese Bomber, and it had a reputation of being heavily defended and able to carry quite a payload compared to other bombers.

"What's the defense, Boss?" Asked Jay, who was flipping on his afterburners.  
"HQ says they've got MG's on the LH's, and there are about 10 KhaliDosei's guarding them. Nothing we can't handle, Joker." The KhaliDosei, or K2, was the Darese combat fighter. It had the standard MG's and Missiles, but the nasty surprise was the EMP it had as a last-ditch effort if a pilot was going down."

"How much time until we hit 'em?" Piano inquired. "I mean, they'll be past us in about 10 minutes."

"We'll be there in 8." Was all Karnage replied, before they all ceased talking.

Jay hated the silence. He had always been one for talking. Talking about inventions, talking about planes, talking about Nya… Nya. _'How is Nya?'_ He though, trying to take his mind off of the silence and the combat they were about to face.

He knew his girlfriend had taken it hard when she learned about the war, and Jay didn't blame her. The thought of losing everyone you loved. After all, she had lost her parents in the first war. Her father died while fighting in the Toxic Bogs, and her mother had been killed in a bombing run that had slipped through Ninjagan defenses.

' _I wonder what'll happen if I lose her in a bombing.'_ He thought, letting his covered head slump back against the seat. _'Kai would be devastated… I'd never love again.'_ He sighed. _'But that's why I'm stopping this bombing. So a daughter won't lose her mother, or a soldier won't lose his wife.'_ Jay nodded confidently and tightened his grip on the control stick.

"Garmadon won't take control of my country. And he sure as hell ain't gonna bomb my city." He remembered leaving his junkyard home and travelling around the bustling metropolis, looking for a job.

He flipped off his afterburners and shut off autopilot. He could see in his scanner that their target was a mere four miles ahead of them. _'Wow. Time really does fly when you're feeling patriotic.'_

"Let's do this, boys. Gentlemen, time to earn the wings." Karnage said. "Spearhead Attack Formation, hit it!"

Jay brought his plane right and slightly behind Karnage's, and he saw Huey do the same for the left. Piano situated himself just behind and above Karnage's plane.

Jay turned on his missiles, and looked back down on the radar. "2 miles out, we're incoming from the west." He declared, trying to sound calm.

"Let's hit 'em where it hurts!" Called Piano, and Jay could hear the _Click!_ on his control stick as he let a missile fly. They were now over the ocean, and the desert coastline behind them was fading.

The missile hit its target. Jay saw a small explosion in the distance. Looking back down at his radar told him that a K2 had been destroyed.

"Huey, Joker, hit it!" Karnage yelled into the radio.

Jay let four lock-on missiles fly forward, and Huey did the same. The K2's, still trying to figure out what was going on, went into panic mode when missiles began flying towards them. They jolted left and right and up and down, leaving the three bombers unprotected.

"Joker, breaking!"

"Huey, breaking!"

"Piano, breaking! They're all yours, Boss!"

Jay tilted his plane to the right, giving Karnage more room to maneuver and fire. He saw as Karnage let one missile lose, striking a bomber in the left side and ripping off its wing. The LH-12 went into an uncontrollable downward spiral and slammed into the ocean.

Karnage fired another missile, but one of the K2 pilots had regained his senses and fired a counter-missile, which hit Karnage's.

"Don't worry Cap'n, I got him." Huey said calmly, and brought his plane behind the K2.

"Watch the EMP, Huey." Piano said, slightly worried.

"I got it. Just let me do my job and you do yours." Huey replied before the K2 exploded into a ball of flame. No EMP, no pilot, just shrapnel and fire.

"Damn, this guy's good." Jay said to himself, before firing a missile at one of the bombers. The bomber fired its machine-gun at the missile, trying to explode it preemptively. But unfortunately, they missed their target, allowing the missile to slam into the rear MG gun and rip off part of the tail.

"Piano, I hit the second LH-12 but it's still in the air! Mind finishing it off?" He asked.

He could almost feel Piano grin. "With pleasure." Two missiles slammed into the bottom of the LH-12, setting off the bombs inside. It went off like a firecracker, sending everyone on the field into a frenzy. Jay could see two of the K2's wheel in the opposite direction.

"Let them go, take care of that last bomber!" Karnage said once more, firing his machine gun at a K2 performing evasive maneuvers.

Another K2 positioned itself about half a mile behind Jay's plane, trying to get lock. It was joined by another one, both attempting to rip Jay's FN-34 apart.

"Joker, you need backup?!" Piano cried into the radio. Jay could see that he had a clear shot on the last bomber.

"Negative, negative! I'll take care of it, you just take down the package!" He called back, trying to shake off the K2s.

Jay felt a light bulb go off above his head. He flipped on his afterburners and increased his thrusters, bringing his plane upward at a 90 degree angle so he was pointing at the sky.

Jay felt the G-Force push him backwards into his seat as he was rocketed upwards. As he expected, the two fighters followed him. Jay looked at his altimeter, seeing that he was at 33,500 feet above sea level, going up by about 800 feet per second.

"At 41,000." He said to himself, making all the necessary adjustments for the stunt that he was about to pull.

He checked the altimeter once more. 38,000 feet. He glanced away, and when he looked back, it read 39,600. Close enough.

Jay shut off the afterburners, the thrusters, even the engine. He only kept the weapons system online. He used the stick to guide his plane's nose down at the ground as he fell back to Ninjago's Ocean. He could see the two K2's, still heading straight up.

"Amateurs." Jay chuckled. He sent two missiles directly downward, taking out both planes as they were about to pass him. He hit the engines and afterburners and quickly brought the plane back up. He could just see in the distance an explosion as Piano took down the last bomber.

"That's the last one! They're pulling back!" Karnage's voice once again broke through the radio. There were a lot of woops and jeers coming from all ends of the radio, including Huey. "Alright gentlemen. Let's bring this train home."

It was a short flight back, and an even shorter landing. Jay quickly parked his FN-34 in its hanger and stepped down the ladder that ground control had set there for him. The first person to greet him was Piano, who had parked his plane in the hanger next to Jay's.

"Those were some ballsy moves up there, Walker. I saw the way you took down those two K2's man. I thought you were a goner!" He spoke on, throwing his hands up for extra pizzazz.

"Hey man, it's nothing. I've been doing that stuff since I was back at the academy." said another voice from the corner of the hanger. Huey.

Jay sighed and turned back to Piano. "Y'know Bobby, I could've sworn I was a goner too! I was like, 'I'm so hooped'! But then I had this light bulb moment, and I was like, 'Yeah, that'll work'! And then I-"

"Save it for the after action report, Walker." Karnage said as he walked into the hangar.

"Ah, c'mon Captain Karney! He was just explaining what happened with the K2's!" Piano complained.

"We all saw it, Jole. I'm sure he'll get an appraisal from the Colonel about how he's a 'guerilla pilot' and 'the best in the 47th'." Huey stifled a laugh before walking out with the Captain and Piano.

Jay looked out. The sun was beginning to fall towards the horizon. He took one last look to make sure the rest of Squadron D had left before he ran back up the ladder and jumped into his FN-34. There were no workers, no pilots, no ground control. He was alone.

He opened a small compartment on the right side of the cockpit and removed the rectangular prism that was inside. A cell phone. Something that he had smuggled in with him to chat with his parents and Nya. He looked at the screen to make sure he hadn't broken it during his little aerial stunt show. No cracks, no scratches. Perfect.

He unlocked the phone with his super secret password _[IFlyPlanes12345]_ and went into messages. He had only 2 names in his contact list. He selected the one that said 'Nya'.

"hey, how r u doing?" He sent her the text, sliding back in the seat that he had flown so many combat missions in.

A few minutes later, he got the reply.

"pretty damn awful. ive been drinking alone since ur gone and seleil's in ninjago city."

Jay smiled at the petty problems his girlfriend was having.

"i just got back from a combat mission. u will be happy to know that i just saved the capital"

He continued smiling, realizing that the mission he and his team just pulled actually did save real human lives. The reply he got, however, was not what he expected.

"im never happy when u go on combat missions"

This bamboozled Jay, and he began to think about why she would be so upset. He saved the capital! He decided to give her a call. He heard the steady ring go by three times before she finally picked up.

"Y-yeah?"

Jay became a little concerned at her tone. She sounded drunk, and kind of sad, which didn't match her usual charisma.

"Nya, it's me, Jay. Your boyfriend?" He said, waiting for her to respond.

"Oh." Was all he got.

"Nya, are you feeling alright? I just don't think you're doing too well… is it the loneliness? Is it the fact that Kai's not there? Is it the war?"

At the mention of war, he thought he could hear soft crying coming from the other end of the line.

"Nya? Nya, are you alright?" He asked, now completely worried for her.

"Please, Jay… please come home." She spoke in between sobs.

Jay mentally pictured his calendar. In 2 days he had a whole week off. Just 2 days. He was going to hang out with Kai… but this was more important. Besides, word on the airbase was that Kai had a thing for a red head in his unit, so he could spend the time with her.

"I can be there in two days, Nya. In two days, I'll be home. We'll be home, together!" He said, trying desperately to cheer her up, to stop her from crying.

"T-thank you, Jay… thank you." She said before hanging up.

Jay sighed shakily, turning off the phone and resting it back inside its compartment. Kai would understand, especially if it was his sister. After all, he had relaxed to the thought of them dating, or at least Jay hoped he had.

He hopped out of the cockpit, stepping out of the hanger, into the starry night, and towards the air traffic control tower to join his friends in the After Action Report.

 **What did you guys think? And what do you think about the new Cover Image? Constructive Criticism is always allowed!**


	9. Chapter 9: Devil Dog is Home

**The reviews to chapter 8 were estatic to me! I was so glad that you guys want the sequel and the one shots, and that you enjoyed the last chapter and the story overall! As always, constructive criticism is allowed anywhere in my stories. And here's everyone's favorite Black Ninja, COLE!**

Chapter 9: Devil Dog is Home **  
**Cole had a few things to say to High Command about the Marine's transportation method. The Army brats got to ride around in their armored cars, the Navy got their ships, Air Force had their little planes. But apparently it was custom for the Marines to ride around on AT-45 tanks like they did in the first war.

Cole usually hated the rides on those tanks. It was bumpy as hell, he had to hold down his helmet, and if they got into combat, one lucky shot from an anti-armor missile could wipe out every Marine on the AT-45. Cole had never seen it happen before, but Dareth had. He seemed a little shaken by it afterwards, and didn't really like to talk about it.

But today, Cole didn't care about the bumpiness, or his helmet, or the thought of being blown to death with the other 8 Marines sitting on the tank with him. Why? Because his unit was heading southeast to defend the Wildwood Forest. And according to Lieutenant Chris Dan, who led Cole's squadron, they were going to be riding through Ignacia, which is where Cole and his friends had all lived and worked before they all signed up for the military.

Apparently, they were going to be stopping in the small village for four nights before they were to carry on to the Forest. Word was that Ouroborus was being recaptured by the Army brats, and once that fell the Darese supply line would crumble.

The AT-45s were having trouble in the rocky and hilly region that Ignacia was located in. They had already stopped six times for engine malfunctions, and gas spewing from the rear of the tank told that they were going to be stopping for a seventh any time now.

Cole began growing impatient. He was fiddling with his L-19 rifle, switching the fire modes, clicking safety on and off, playing with the trigger, and listening to Dareth spill his heart out in a poem he had written for a girl he was dating back in Ninjago City. Cole was still baffled that any woman would fall for the narcissistic 'Brown Marine', as he called himself. The nickname had backfired, however, when a sailor in the Navy called him the "Crap Stain Leatherdog", and the nickname stuck.

"Hey, Dareth?" Cole interrupted him mid-dramatic verse.

"What is it, Cole? I'm in my melodramatic zone." He responded, irritated.

' _When are you not in the melodramatic zone?'_ Cole thought to himself, suppressing the urge to laugh. "Well, I was just wondering what happened to make you join the Marines. All the other guys have told me, but not you."

Dareth set down the paper on the large hunk of metal they were riding and looked at Cole with eyes that usually didn't match the rest of his face. "Well, my old man runs a dojo back in the city. He wanted me to take it over when he passed off. But I had always had my heart set on being… an actor!" He waved his hands in front of his face with a new _'Hey, I'm glamorous!'_ look plastered on his face. "So, I joined the Marines to get away from my Dad for a couple of years, y'know? Just take some time to mellow out and reflect on what I want to do."

Cole gave him a confused look. "You chose a battlefield as the setting to 'mellow out' in?"

"Well, now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't one of my best choices. But it still gets me pretty far from my Dad, right?"

The shorter man nodded. "Yeah, yeah." He looked forward, allowing the other man to continue reading his poem. Further up, about 700 yards ahead of them, sat the tiny village where they were supposed to fit 120 tanks and 1,500 men. How? Cole had no idea. All he knew was that he had a place to stay: The Smith House!

The Smith House was occupied by none other than the Smith family, obviously, as well as Jay, Zane, and Cole. Because Zane, Kai, and Jay weren't there, Cole could easily invite Dareth to stay with them for the four nights.

He saw rice farmers massing in the streets to greet the soldiers as they passed through the village's main road. Cole could see that more houses had been built since they had left, and that the population had doubled. People were cheering and shouting and waving flags for the Marines, and they waved back.

Cole was looking for two people in particular, somewhere in the crowd… there! Behind the ice cream vendor! It was Seleil and Nya. Seleil, to him, looked beautiful, as always, but he was a little taken back when he saw the second girl. Even from where he was, about 50 yards away, she looked terrible. Her skin was quite pale, and her red robes had a few tears here and there. _'If Kai saw her like that, he'd have a fit.'_ Cole thought. But she was still smiling and waving at him, so he waved back and tried to look as though he hadn't seen what a child might confuse as a ghost.

What really made his heart soar was when Seleil gave him a grin and blew a kiss in his direction. He saw her mouth the words _'Go get 'em, cowboy.'_ before winking at him. He heard Dareth whistle as they rolled down another hill and out of their view.

"Damn Brookstone, is she your girl? I could be a ghost writer and write her a poem for you. Don't worry, I'd never tell." He said, becoming slightly more annoying than a screwdriver on a rusty garbage can.

"No! She's not my girl. She's just a friend." He responded, becoming defensive. Another of the Marines, Cole thought his name was Private Rodrick or Rodney or something, turned around and gave a lopsided grin at Cole.

"I kind of think that the pale one was pretty. I like my women just a little on the trashy side." He said, still grinning at the two.

"Well, she's taken too. By my friend Jay. He's a pilot in the… 37th Interceptor Wing, I think." Cole said, becoming even more defensive.

"A flyboy? Damn. She could be doing so much better."

For some reason, this statement made Cole lose it. He had always been extremely defensive of his close friends, who he considered to be his family. "Hey, asshole! That 'flyboy' has got more confirmed kills than the rest of you boys combined."

Rodney lost his grin, scowling now. "How would you know? You can't even remember which Air Wing this guy's in. You ain't a real friend."

Cole stood up, on the back of a tank, and took off his helmet. It was a metal helmet, covered in Kevlar. He looked at the piece of headwear, glanced up at the scowling Rodney, and swung it, hitting Rodney square in the jaw and sending him backwards off the AT-45.

The Lieutenant stood up from the tank in front of them and yelled back. "What the hell just happened to Private Rodney?!"

"He fell, Lieutenant Dan!" Dareth called back. "Cole tried to catch him, but he fell offa the tank!"

The tank behind them stopped to pick up the unconscious Marine, before continuing onward. After another 2 minutes of parading, the tanks all stopped in a field just outside the village.

"Find a place to spend the night!" "We're handing out tents!" "Clean your weapons!" The officers called, as the Marines began to hop off their AT-45s and scatter throughout the field.

"Hey, Dareth! C'mon! I've got a place to stay!" Cole called, jogging down the line of tanks back towards the village. Dareth quickly followed him, clutching his L-19 rifle against his chest and struggling to keep up with the more physically fit Marine.

Cole could see the Smith house waiting for them about 200 yards back. He could also see Private Rodney being hauled off of an AT-45 on a stretcher with a purple bottom lip. He smirked. Ah, sweet revenge. He made it to the house, burst up the steps, and shoved open the door, still holding a rifle and looking like he were about to go into combat.

"I'm home!" He called. Seleil and Nya ran up and both gave him a long hug. Nya's hug was more sisterly, but Seleil's had a little something extra to it, as she snuggled up close to the Marine and set her head against his neck.

"We're home!" Dareth burst in after him and joined the group hug, grappling Cole from behind.

"Uhh, guys, you can all let go now."

"Just making it last. You're quite muscular, Cole. But not as muscular as me!" Dareth detached from the other soldier and began flexing, causing Nya to giggle and put a weary smile on her face. She ceased the hug as well, leaving Seleil hugging Cole for an unnaturally long time.

"Uh, Seleil?" Cole did have to admit that her hair smelled nice. Like the ocean breeze. Or was that Nya's shampoo?  
"Please never leave me again." She muttered under her breath. She looked back at Cole, who was about her height.

"What?"

"I mean… err… I'm glad you're alright, and let me show you to your bed!" She gave an uneasy smile, dragging Cole by the hand. While he was being dragged, Cole caught another glimpse of Nya. He hadn't noticed it until now, but the raggedy clothes she was wearing seemed familiar. Red shirt, blue jeans. He saw a quick flash of Ignacia in flames, with Nya wearing the same red shirt and blue jeans. His dream.

His breath caught in his throat, and Seleil stopped to see why he wasn't following her anymore. He set a hand on the wall, leaning on it to support himself. He felt his eyes watering as he remembered that awful, awful dream. Nya pointing to the fire. Kai telling Cole to 'Avenge. Us'. He dropped his rifle, hearing it clunk as it hit the floor.

"Cole? Are you alright?" Seleil asked, now worried. She ran a hand through her red hair with a blue stripe in it. She stepped forward, and Cole took a swing at her, clearly delusional. He missed her by an inch, and when he looked up, Seleil thought she could see shock.

He quickly straightened himself out, and took off his helmet, dropping it next to the L-19. "I… I need to go." And with that, he ran out the door and into the streets. He began walking towards the hill that loomed over the whole village. One with a cherry tree on top.

Then he began jogging. Then sprinting. His endurance kept him going, although he wasn't particularly fast. By the time he reached the top, 12 minutes had gone by. _'12 Minutes?'_ He thought. _'That felt like 40 seconds.'_ He went up to the tree, placing his gloved hand onto the bark and glancing up at the blossoms. He stood like that for a long time. The sun began to set, leaving an orange glow on him.

"Hey… Cole?" A voice startled him out of his trance. It was none other than Seleil. He glanced back at her, checking his watch. 8:22. The sun had almost fell entirely behind the horizon. The view was beautiful.

Cole tried to step forward, but fell flat on his face. His legs had fallen asleep from not moving for all that time. Seleil ran towards him, and tried to haul him up, but he held up his hand to tell her to stop. "Let's just… lie down for a while, yeah?" He grinned up at her, still in full combat gear.

From their position on the hill, they could see the many tents and tanks that the Marines had brought with them. They could see the Smith House, and that Blacksmith Shop, and Mystic's Tea Shop, which was on the hill opposite them. "It's beautiful." Seleil said, sitting down next to Cole. He was staring at her while she was looking out.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." He responded, causing her to glance back in her direction.

"You're not talking about the view, are you?" She asked, sighing and fully turning her head towards him.

"Seleil." He took her hand, still lying on the grass beneath the tree. "I don't want to lose you in this war. I don't want to lose any of you guys in this war. I'm fighting to protect you." He released her hand, using his own hand to stand up shakily. "I need you guys to live." He said, with the visions of all his friends dying still flashing through his head. This time, there were two more faces added to the death and the destruction: Dareth and Soleil.

"I keep seeing you all. Every night, when I fall asleep, I see you." He stopped to take a shaky breath. "You're all… all dying, or about to die. It's like an awful repeat in my head, it just crushes me, and it crushes my soul. God keeps showing me these things, these images of my family. Every time I go to sleep alone." He fell back onto his knees, now eye level with Seleil.

She used her head to tip his chin up, making him look at her. She gave a smile. "You can sleep in my room. Then you won't be alone."

Cole felt tears welling up in his eyes. He never cried, _never._ Because Marines don't cry. He tried to suck it back into his tear ducts, but they began falling down his cheeks. He pulled Seleil in for a hug so she wouldn't see. "Thank you, Seleil. Thank you."

They walked down the hill together, hand in hand. There were Marines patrolling the streets, with L-19s in hand, ready for action. Cole even saw Private Rodney with his busted lip marching along with another Marine.

They stopped in front of the Smith House. Through the door, they could hear the conversation that Dareth and Nya were having.

"My boyfriend's in the Air Force. He's coming here in two days." Nya said, sounding jittery.

"Yeah, my own girlfriend is back in Ninjago City. I think she needed a break from me, after all, I did make her watch Catablanca a hundred times." Dareth responded.

"But what's one hundred and one!" They said in unison, laughing like old friends. Seleil sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"This should be a long four days." Cole said, smiling at his crush before pushing open the wooden door to his one true home.

 **So, what did you guys think? Remember to leave constructive criticism in the comments! Next chapter is the long awaited ASSASSINATION! Or attempt at an assassination. Until then, byeeee!**


	10. Chapter 10: The One to End it All

**Heyo guys! I'm back with the anticipated assassination! Keep posting these reviews! Whether you like it or hate it, let me know so I can better my writing skills. In response to the reviews from Chapter 9:**

 **MidnightShard99- Cole definitely has issues, so expect to see more of them in this, the sequels and one-shots.**

 **DragonWhisperer762- You can find out what happens during the assassination below! None of you have figured out what goes wrong yet, so I bet it'll be a surprise!  
MNC- I can't believe it. You have literally shattered the Easter Egg hunt. You've found EVERY SINGLE Easter Egg I've placed. Congratulations. I'll continue to place them here and there!**

 **NGGK- Kai has Skylor to keep him company! I'm going to try and advance Coleil and Kailor as much as I can in this story, so be more prepared for those two couples, as well as Jaya [Because who doesn't like Jaya]?**

 **LiaLia15- Well Lia, you only have to wait one more chapter! I'll have it up soon!**

 **With that out of the way, let's get going!**

Chapter 10: The One to End it All

Zane slid a magazine into his P12S. He looked down at the weapon and grimaced. _'This is it.'_ He thought. _'We pull this off, the war is over. We save Ninjagan and Darese lives. Just one bullet and it'll end.'_ A jolt from slight turbulence made him jump and take another look around the tight quarters he and his team were situated in.

There they were, the NNSOG. Ninjago's finest. They all wore polo's and cargo pants, with Kevlar vests, helmets, and knee pads. They wore no patches on their shoulders, only the weight of what they were about to do. Zane looked around.

Sergeant Henry "Hank" Jones, holding his M28 Sniper Rifle tightly against his chest. He looked to be nervous, as he glanced around their tight space.

Sergeant Luicha Khatosi, who was deep in prayer. His CL-19, or Customized L-19, sat on his lap, waiting to be used in combat.

Captain James McClyde, who was the leader of the group. He looked calm as ever when in a mission, but Zane could see sweat droplets forming on his hairline. He held his own CL-19, which had a grenade launcher under the barrel.

Together, these four men were about to make history. Their names would never be mentioned, but their squadron would go down as THE squadron when talking about the NNSOG. Zane picked up his CL-19, which was on the bench next to him. He had a pulse sensor installed onto the side of his weapon, so he could see where enemies were position behind doors and walls.

Another jolt made all four operators look up. They were riding in a modified HK-25 Transport Helicopter, which was difficult to hear, even when less than a mile out. They were flying low, really low. Only 50 feet off the ground, according to James.

The helicopter jolted to a quick stop, its rotors only picking up some dust. "This is where you fellas get off!" A pilot said over the intercom. "Good luck and God be with you!"

James stepped out, and waved towards the cockpit, shouting over the rotors, "We'll see you boys at the LZ!" They all stepped off, and watched as the helicopter slowly rose and took off in the opposite direction, away from the team.

James pulled out a small map, unfolding it and gesturing for the rest of his team to gather around him. "We're about 5 klicks east from the compound." He pointed towards a large hill that was about 1,500 feet away. "Hank, that's your perch. The rest of us are going to cut through this brush and hit the compound's rear fence, where the loading dock is. If things get hairy, I'm counting on you to support our asses with sniper fire, y'here?"

Hank nodded, holding his M28 a little tighter.

"Alright, let's break gentlemen. I'll see you in the History Books." This comment from James earned a smile from his other operators, who were all trying to mask the nervousness that was welling deep inside each and every one of them.

Henry moved towards the hill while Luicha, James, and Zane all moved through the thick bushes and trees. Within seconds of stepping in, they were out of Henry's line of view.

Zane readied his pulse sensor, leading in front of his fellow operators. James sat in the middle, and Luicha covered the rear, making sure no one was following them. They moved in silence, being the stealthy men that they were. They avoided stepping on branches for fear of making noise.

It took about 20 minutes, but eventually they got to the gate. It was made of strong metal wires, which lapped over each other. James reached to the back of his vest, pulling out a large pair of sheers. "Wire cutting devices ready." He said.

Zane pulled out his own sheers, and began snapping away at the wires like they were butter. James joined him while Luicha continued watching the forest, with the safety off on his CL-19. They got through the fence, and brought the broken chunk into the forest where it wouldn't be seen.

"Hank, are you in position?" Asked Luicha, one hand still on his assault rifle.

"Yeah, M28's all set up and ready for action." Hank replied, attempting to sound casual.

Luicha put his second hand back on his rifle and entered the gate. He was followed by Zane and then James. Luckily, there were crates that could be used for cover in the 50 yards between the gate and the loading dock.

The three men dashed from crate to crate in an attempt to avoid being spotted. Zane flipped on his heartbeat sensor and began scanning the area. "Two snipers in the watchtower. Five armed men unloading the trucks." He whispered, and flipped the safety off his weapon.

James pulled back the bolt on his CL-19, creating a small _click_ that was not heard by the guards. "Try to avoid conflict. We don't want the whole base knowing we're here." James advised. They all moved forward, until they were a mere 5 yards from the dock, which was elevated 3 feet off the ground.

"Alright. There's a large crate on the left side of the dock. I'll create a distraction, and you guys go. I'll be right behind you, so move fast and don't look back." James said, whispering to his comrades.

Zane saw him pull something from his cargo pants. A firecracker. He pulled a lighter, sending the small explosive under the truck that was currently unloading supplies.

As soon as they heard the _Crack!_ Zane and Luicha bolted for the crate. They made it in mere seconds, keeping themselves covered. Zane motioned for James to follow, and he nodded. He pulled another firecracker, tossing it into the right side of the loading dock.

It exploded, sending the men into a frenzy. James took the opportunity and joined his squad mates behind the crate. He motioned towards the door that led further into the compound, and they ran for it while the guards were still distracted.

The three men moved in usual tactical formation, with Zane and his pulse sensor in the lead. They approached another closed wooden door.

Zane glanced down at his pulse sensor, which showed 7 armed guards on the other side of the door. "7 tangos, all armed with DR-21 assault rifles." He muttered.

James spoke quietly into his radio. "HQ, where's the HVT?"

The voice of Colonel Hillsburg came through. "We've tracked Garmadon's phone. He's in his bedroom, but he hasn't been making any calls, which is strange for him. The directions are, from your location, right down the hallway, then another right, which should lead you straight to the Master Bedroom."

"Thanks HQ." James said once more before turning his attention back to the door.

"5 on the right, 2 on the left. They look a little cocky. They won't know what hit them." Zane smiled.

"I'll take the right with Zane." Luicha said, now sounding slightly eager for the fun to start.

"Then I'll take left." The Captain said. "On 3. 1, 2, 3!"

He kicked in the door, entering the room and aiming left. Luicha entered right, following tightly by Zane. Gunfire echoed through the hallway, followed by the stunned cries of Darese men. One man on the right got hit by Zane, then kneeled and tried to pick up his DR-21.

Luicha promptly put a bullet in his skull, ending his attempt. After another 5 seconds, all gunfire ceased. "James, you good?!" Zane called back, not looking.

"Yeah, two tangos confimed KIA!" He heard his friend shout. Alarms began sounding throughout the compound. "I think they know we're here!" James continued.

Zane radioed in Henry, who was still up at his perch a few miles away. "Hank! Fire on the watchtower, there are two men up there! Begin taking out targets in the courtyard and outside of the main building!"

"You got it, Julien." Henry replied, before sending multiple shots at the compound. The sniper slew guard after guard. It seemed as though every shot was a hit.

"Hank's giving out fire support! Let's move!" Zane shouted, beckoning his friends forward. They went right down the hallway, and then took another right, where a second hallway sat. No guards were in the hallway, but at the end of it sat a set of wooden double doors.

' _The Master Bedroom.'_ Zane thought. _'This is it.'_ He breathed deeply, moving forward and raising his pulse sensor. "3 men inside. 2 armed. The last one must be Garmadon. Garmadon's in the middle, and the two guards are on his right, moving rapidly. They're both armed with handguns."

He deactivated the pulse sensor, as Luicha set a breaching charge on the door. James slung his CL-19, pulling his P12S from the holster on his vest. "For Ninjago." He spoke, with a calm look still on his face.

"For Ninjago." Zane repeated.

"For Ninjago." Luicha said, nodding.

"Alright gentlemen. Let's kill this son of a bitch."

Luicha blew open the door, and all three men rushed inside. Everything went into slow motion for Zane. The lights were off, so he could only barely make out the silhouettes of the two guards as he wheeled around his CL-19. Two shots downed one, which Luicha fired four bullets into the other. Another _BANG! BANG! BANG!_ from a P12S showed that James had reached his mark. Zane could only see the outline of the body as it fell.

But something was off. The outline was smaller than Garmadon, and it appeared to have more hair then he did. "Something's not right… Luicha, hit the lights."

Luicha fondled the wall for the switch for a few seconds before finally turning on the light on the ceiling fan. "Oh God! Oh God, no!" James shouted, dropping his P12S.

There, lying on the floor in front of them, dead of three gunshot wounds, was Lady Misako Garmadon.

All three operators stood there in silence as Zane's world melted away from him. The sirens, the sound of Henry's sniper, all melted away. They had just killed the biggest and most vocal advocate for peace on both sides. Here she was, the Lady who was famed for helping Darese children with disabilities and being so contrast to her husband that it was a wonder that they were married. Where was the voice for peace now? Lying dead on the floor, killed by the people she was trying to help.

Luicha was the first to snap out of his trance, tightening the grip on his CL-19. "C'mon, we gotta move!" He shouted, shaking James, who reluctantly picked up his P12S and walked back out into the hallway.

Zane put his head in his hands, before grabbing his CL-19 and walking out, not looking back at the body of the former Lady of the Dark Island.

"We need another exit!" James shouted over the gunfire that was coming from outside in the courtyard.

"Then we'll make one! Cover me!" Luicha shouted. Zane moved to protect his fellow Operator, who strapped a breaching charge on one of the walls. "BREACHING!" Luicha pressed the button on the detonator, successfully blowing a hole in the side of the hallway.  
Outside, Zane could see Darese soldiers trying to find out what was shooting at them. They all had their backs turned when the explosion occurred, which send pieces of hardened cement and shrapnel into their backs, causing blunt trauma and large gaping wounds for anyone 10 feet within the wall. They all stepped out into the courtyard, firing at the soldiers.

Zane rushed and took cover behind a large plant which was in a large stone pot. James fired two shots at a Darese soldier, before diving behind a Darese armored car with Luicha. Zane began surveying the surroundings, looking for a good exit, when he saw them.

Lord Garmadon was huddled behind an armored car with one guard about 30 yards ahead of them. It was evident that they were trying to keep covered from Henry's sniper fire. Neither Luicha nor James could see him from their vantage point.

No words, just actions. Zane took one well aimed shot and hit the guard square in the face. Garmadon looked shocked, and then turned to Zane, who had placed him in his sights. _'I'll see you in the history books.'_ James' words echoed through his mind.

One squeeze. He yearned to pull the trigger and end his life, end the war. But a small part of him, something deep within his soul, told him not to do it. It was the part that remembered Lady Misako Garmadon, lying dead and helpless on the floor. Slowly, Zane lowered his CL-19, and nudged his head, motioning for Garmadon to run.

The Dictator did take off, bolting back into his compound with a speed that was almost as fast as Zane himself. Zane sighed, sitting against the pot as bullets whizzed all around him. He began questioning his choice, when James began shouting.

"THERE'S AN OPENING! GET BACK TO THE HOLE IN THE FENCE! GO!" He yelled, and they all took off.

Darese soldiers were firing at them, but their aim was poor. Out of the corner of his eye, Zane could see another Darese soldier standing 30 yards away. This soldier was different. Unlike the others, who fired wildly from the hip, he took a regular stance, placing the rifle against his shoulder. The man fired, and the bullet ripped through Zane's stomach.

Zane let out a startled cry, falling to the ground. James turned and downed the soldier, before running to Zane with Luicha.

"Can you walk?" He asked, trying to ignore the gunfire that was happening all around them.

Zane shook his head, wincing from all the pain. "He's not losing too much blood, but he needs to get out of here, NOW!" Luicha said over the massive firefight.

"We won't make it with Zane weighing us down." James said. "Unless…" He looked at a large crate that was situated between the compound and the gate. "I'll stay back and cover you! I want you to carry him to the LZ."

Luicha looked stunned. "B-but, James, you-"

"I know what I'm getting into. It's why I signed up."

Luicha threw up a quick salute. "It was an honor, sir."

James saluted back, smiling. "Now get him out of here, go!"

Luicha picked up Zane, lugging him over his shoulder. For Zane, things were getting blurry, but he had heard the conversation.

"W-wait… put me down… James! Jaaaames! JAMES!" He continued shouting as Luicha went through the hole in the fence and continued running as hard as he could through the forests towards the lake where the helicopter was supposed to pick them up.

"Why! Are! You! So! Heavy!" Luicha shouted in between gasps. "Just 1 more mile, just 1 more mile!" He pushed his legs to go faster and tried to ignore the man on his shoulder continuously shouting out 'James!'

A man popped out from behind a tree, with a gun pointed at Luicha. "Woah, woah! Blue!" Luicha shouted.

The man lowered his rifle. It was Henry. "Good God! How did you guys survive?!" He saw Zane being lugged on Luicha's shoulder. "Where's he hit?"

With his free hand, Luicha tapped his stomach, still breathing heavily. "And James?" Henry asked.

Luicha slowly shook his head. Henry looked down for a minute. "Damn," He said. "I could've saved him!"

Luicha caught some air and put his hand on Henry's shoulder. "Hank, it was his decision. There was nothing you could've done."

Henry nodded, before taking Zane off Luicha's shoulder and putting him on his own. Zane was now fully unconscious. Both operators took off for the lake, where they were to be picked up by their HK-25.

Wu walked through the bustling hallway towards the Master Bedroom, where cries had been omitting from for the past 5 minutes. The soldiers outside were wiping their tears. Wu sensed something had gone horrible, horrible wrong.

He entered the room, and the first thing he saw was exactly what he feared: his brother clutching the corpse of his wife, while sobbing his heart out.

Wu shook for a moment, his always calm demeanor rattled. He watched as his brother's tears slipped onto his wife, who Wu had come close with, as Brother and Sister-in-Law. They had been friends since they were all teenagers. Now here she was, dead from 2 seconds of action.

Garmadon looked up, his uniform wrinkled and covered in soot and tears streaming down his face. "Th-they… they killed my wife, Wu! They killed Misako…"

Wu felt a single tear slide down his own cheek. "I know brother, I know." He heard a scuffle out in the hallway, as well as shouting in Ninjagan and Darese.

"LET ME GO, YOU DAMN FREAKS!" Was heard, followed by, "Husth Heva, tu Ninjaga idiasi!" And a loud _THWAP!_

Two guards dragged in a man with no patches. He wore standard issue Ninjago Kevlar, and was gritting his teeth. The moment he saw the body of Misako, he stopped struggling and his eyes widened.

Garmadon stood up, wiping off his tears and facing the man.

"We found him near the rear gate, by the loading docks. He took out quite a few of our men." One of the guards said in Ninjagan. Garmadon nodded, before looking at the man.

"Did you come here to kill me?" He asked, shakily.

"Yes." The man said, still looking at the body.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Ninjagan dog." Garmadon said, forcing the man to take his eyes off the body.

"What is your name?"

"J-James McClyde. Captain in Ninjago's Navy."

Garmadon nodded, before pointing at his wife. "Did you kill her?"

James remained silent, looking at the body.

"Did you?!" Garmadon raised his voice. "DID YOU KILL MY WIFE?!" He roared, with more tears coming down his face.

James opened his mouth to speak. "Y-yes." He looked down, ashamed at what his actions had accomplished.

Garmadon strolled over to one of the dead guards and picked up his handgun. It was a standard issue Darese Guck 18. He checked that there was a bullet in the chamber, before walking back to James.

"You kill my wife…" He pulled back the hammer. "I kill you."

James nodded. "I'm ready to meet my maker. I know what I did, and I'm sorry."

Garmadon raised his weapon to James forehead. Wu turned around before hearing a loud gunshot and the sound of a body hitting the floor. The last thing he heard before exiting as well was the standard _clip, clomp, clip, clomp_ of his brother's boots as they strolled out of the Master Bedroom.

 **So what did you guys think? This is my longest chapter yet, with over 3,200 words. So kudos to you if you read all that without getting bored!**

 **Husth Heva, tu Ninjaga idiasi!- Shut up, you idiotic Ninjagan!**

 **Next chapter is when Jay returns home from the Air Force. It won't be as long as this one, I promise! Constructive Criticism is always allowed!**


	11. Chapter 11: Flyboy is Home

**Well, I'm back peeps! This chapter, as I have mentioned previously, is the chapter where Jay returns home for a few weeks! I'm most likely going to have this chapter span over one or two days, then time skip [Cheap move on my part] back to the war for the plot's sake. It'll be worth it. BUT if you think I should continue over the week or weeks that Jay is here, let me know in the reviews! Speaking of reviews, here's the response to Chapter 10's:**

 **Last thing, I'm desperately in need of an upload schedule. So, if you want to, you can leave a suggestion! I.E. Upload every 1 day, Upload every 1 week, or, if you really dislike the story, NEVER UPLOAD AGAIN! And with that, we are rolling!**

Chapter 11: Flyboy is Home

Nya groggily awoke to the sound of her alarm clock going off. She checked the time. 6:00. _'Why did I set it this early?'_ She thought, groaning and slamming the snooze button. She rolled back over, closed her eyes, and tried to return to sleep.

Remembering the importance of the day, she shot up, he eyes widened. The corners of her mouth turned upward in a smile. "HE'S COMING!"

She heard a loud _THUD!_ from the living room, followed by Dareth screaming "OW!"

' _Oops…,'_ she thought to herself, swinging her legs off the side of her bed. _'Perhaps it wasn't the brightest idea to shout at the top of your lungs at six in the morning.'_

She shook her head, hopping out of bed and hurrying to her dresser. Opening it, she pulled out a blue T-shirt and a red T-shirt. She held them side by side in a mirror, trying to decide which to wear. She heard the creak of her door being opened, and could see Seleil enter in the mirror's reflection.

The girl rubbed her eyes and leaned on the wall of Nya's room. "Thank you, Nya. I really needed to be woken up at six o'clock by you shouting about your boyfriend." Seleil told her, sarcastically. She crossed her arms, clearly irritated.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Hey, which of these shirts should I wear? I mean, Jay and I both like blue, but Jay told me that the red shows my fire and uniqueness."

Seleil threw up her arms in a helpless manner, before walking out of the room. Before she left, she quickly muttered "Blue," under her breath.

Nya smiled. "Red! Got it! Thanks Seleil!" She could hear Seleil groan from the hallway. Nya quickly changed into the red T-shirt and jeans, slipping on her white sneakers and quickly walking down the stairs and into living room where Dareth was staying.

The man was still rubbing his head, sitting on the blanketed couch. He waved to his host, seemingly less irritated with her. "Hey Nya," he said groggily, not yet fully awake. "What time is the flyb- I mean, Jay, supposed to get here?"

Nay checked her watch. She hadn't taken off the device the night before. "1 o'clock." She said, more perky than usual. Her face had grown less pale since Jay had told her he was coming, and she had been drinking much, much less.

Dareth groaned. "Then why'd you get up so early? I need my beauty sleep. After all, do-"

"Do you think that all my prettiness happens naturally?" said a deeper voiced man from the top of the stairs. Both of them looked up and saw Cole, who was wearing his signature 'I Break Baddies' T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts.

"Cole, you ruined my sentence!" Dareth complained, now more awake and alert.

"Yeah, yeah, can it crap-stain." Cole said, waltzing down the stairs with less elegance than a piano on a flight of stairs. "Turn on the TV, maybe they have on morning cartoons. I love Dom and Harry, and the Gravelrocks!"

Dareth fumbled about for the remote, before finding it and hitting the 'On' button. The TV flashed onto Chet Chipman, who was Ninjago's prime newscaster. At the bottom the screen it read _'Darese Queen dead in Ninjago Assassination Attempt'_.

"Oh God…" Nya muttered, before putting her head in her hands and falling back onto the couch next to Dareth.

"… yes, it does appear that Ninjago has assassinated perhaps the only chance of stopping this war before it escalates any further. It seems that we can't trust anyone in these dark days of despair." Chet said, with a somber tone that didn't usually match with the newscaster's usual display of emotion.

Cole stepped away from the couch, leaning against the wall. "There was a rumor going around… but… no, that can't be right."

The two on the couch turned back and looked at Cole. "What?" Dareth questioned, becoming slightly confused. He hadn't heard about any rumor.

"Lieutenant Dan, y'know, he's really close with the High Command People in the Marines and Navy and such. And he was telling one of the Sergeants that NNSOG was going to be performing an assassination on the Dark Island. But I had no idea that it was going to be this huge."

Nya began to put two and two together. "So, you're saying that Zane… Zane could've done this?"

Cole shook his head. "Zane wouldn't have knowingly done this. He hates killing. He never wanted this war to happen. No, something else must have happened, or maybe they sent in another NNSOG team, or maybe Lt. Dan's rumors were false and this is all a coincidence."

"A helluva coincidence." Said a female voice from the kitchen. It was Seleil. She had slipped by them while they were all by the couch and watching Chet report.

Nya stood up and brushed off her shirt. "Well, that put a damper on my day. I'm going upstairs."

Cole shouted up at her while she was heading up: "Hey, we're all going to the bar. When Jay arrives, come take him there, alright? After all, he is my Best Friend."

Nya nodded. "Will do."

She sat up there, playing with her phone. She sent a quick text to Kai, who had sent her a selfie of his whole unit the previous night. Kai was in the front, with a red-head standing next to him. Behind them were about 24 guys, all trying to squeeze into the photo. At the bottom was the caption 'Have fun with Jay, sis! But not too much fun ;)'

Nya sighed, before texting back a quick 'screw u'. Nya knew he wouldn't see it until he got back to the barracks after patrols and trainings and such, but she felt compelled to send it due to her brother's snarky comment.

A few hours went by. She checked the time on her phone. "12:40?!" she tried bolting up, but her legs had fallen asleep. She ended up falling on her bedroom floor, using her elbows to break her fall. She stood up once more, trying to regain her composure before walking down the steps, _slowly_.

She made it down, ignoring the pins in needles in her legs, and shoved open the front door. _'The bus should be here any minute now.'_ She said, grinning like a madman. This was it. After months of waiting, she was finally going to see the love of her life. She put her phone in her pants pocket, becoming fidgety.

It took another 6 minutes before the bus finally rolled into view. It screeched to a halt in front of her house, and the doors opened.

Out walked Senior Airman Jay Walker, wearing his pilot's jacket, cargo pants, and a pilot's holster with a P12S inside of it. He was clutching a small leather bag that presumably held his clothes and other personal items. He saluted the driver and said quickly, "I'll see you in about 2 weeks, Reggie!" before walking towards the house.

Nya could no longer contain herself. She ran towards him, jumping into his arms and kissing him hard. He quickly caught her, returning the kiss. After another few seconds, Nya broke the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder. "I missed you…" she muttered softly, still in his arms.

"I missed you to, Nya." He replied, before kissing her cheek and walking her into the Smith House.

He set her and his bag down on the couch and sat next to her. "Man, it's been a while." He said, smiling and looking around. "I like what you did while I was gone."

Nya shrugged. "Eh, I just brushed up a little bit, cleaned up the kitchen, y'know."

Jay looked back at her, grinning. "Well, it's perfect. Like you." He stole another quick kiss from her, earning a blush from his girlfriend.

She brushed a strand of hair out of her face, trying not to look embarrassed. "Cole and Seleil are waiting for us at the bar."

"Cole's here? For real? For how long? Man, it's been such a long time! We've got plenty of catching up to do! How was the Marines for him? Was he alright? Did he get shot? Was he even in combat? How many kills did he get? Do you think he-" Jay was interrupted by his girlfriend giggling.

"Well, he did say one thing. You talk too much!" She exclaimed before bursting into laughter.

Jay chuckled nervously. Now _he_ was the one blushing. "Y-yeah, I guess I do…" They just sat there for a couple seconds, looking into each other's eyes, noticing the differences.

Nya noticed that Jay's blue eyes looked more wild, almost crazy. Jay saw that Nya's pretty brown eyes were a bit more… tired than usual. He remembered the phone conversation they'd had two days earlier, how she had sounded drunk and upset.

"Well, didn't you say Cole was at the bar?" He inquired, smiling once more. They both walked to the door. Jay offered her his arm, and she gladly took it before they proceeded to walk together out into the summer sun.

Cole was telling Seleil a story about how he had bashed the brains in of a Darese scout that had wandered a bit too far from Ouroborus, and how he had gotten into a quick firefight with Stone Warriors only a few nights before.

"Then, I saw one of the tricky bastards trying to make a run for it, into the woods. So I aimed the rifle with utmost accuracy, and-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the bar's door opening, and in walked Jay and Nya, with their arms still locked.

"Well well well, if it ain't flyboy McGhee! Welcome to the party, Walker!" Cole stood up and shook his best friend's hand.

"Why are you here? Call it Pilot's Intuition, but I think it may have something to do with the tanks." Jay pointed out the window, where only a few hundred yards away sat over a hundred AT-45s.

Cole shrugged. "Guilty as charged. We're here for a few days to refuel and prepare before we move further south to the Wildwood Forest."

Jay looked confused for a moment. "The Stone Army is that far inland?"

Cole shook his head. "Nah, but intel shows that's where they'll strike next. Either there or Ninjago City. And they don't have the balls to hit the capital." Cole's smile returned to his face. "Now, let me see the package. C'mon, I know they let you flyboys bring it home."

Jay sighed, opening his pilot's jacket and showing Cole the pilot's holster.

"Damn, Jay! That a P12S?" Cole inquired, getting a better look at the handgun.

"Yeah, it's standard issue. Every pilot has to bring it along when they go on a mission, in case we get shot down." Jay replied, closing the jacket. "I know you're active right now, so what gun did they let you bring along?"

Cole grinned. "L-19. Standard issue. I guess you could say my gun's bigger than yours." He joked.

Jay gave Cole a rude gesture, before sitting down next to Nya. He reached across the table and shook hands with the other Marine. "Jay Walker, 47th Interceptor Air Wing of Ninjago. It's a pleasure."

Dareth smirked, shaking back. "Dareth Turner, 9th Marine Division. The pleasure's all mine." They released each other's hands.

"Now that everyone knows each other, why don't we head on back to the Smith House? I have a bottle of champagne waiting for us." Nya said. Seleil shot her a look. "What? It's a special occasion." She smiled innocently.

"Jay? A special occasion? There's a first time for everything." Cole muttered, earning laughs from around the table.

They returned home and proceeded to drink and talk for hours on end. Seleil and Nya talked about home life. Cole and Dareth talked about life in the Marines, and Jay relayed information about the war in the skies.

By 8:00 P.M., Dareth had retreated towards the AT-45s to ask some questions to the Lieutenant. Cole had advised against it, since Dareth was clearly intoxicated, but he had assured his fellow Marine that he'd be alright.

Cole and Seleil had gone called it a night and both went up to Seleil's room. That left Jay, sitting on the couch watching 'The Planesons', with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He continued watching the old cartoon, when his girlfriend stumbled in front of the TV.

She had a sultry smile on her face, and gave Jay a single wink. "I-I say… we… we 'hit the sack' too, y'know?" Nya stuttered, flushed in her intoxicated state.

Jay chuckled a few times. "Nya, you're drunk. Why don't you go lie down in bed, hm?"

She stepped towards him, almost falling. "B-but I wanna go lie down with you…" she put a finger on his chest, dragging it down. She gave a wink for extra emphasis.

Jay continued chuckling, before grabbing his girlfriend's hand off his stomach and held it. "Nya, you're _really_ drunk. You should go to your room. I'll go sleep in mine in a few hours, yeah?" He brushed her hand with his, before releasing it.

She pouted, pretending to be upset, before intentionally collapsing onto her boyfriend. Her face was now inches away from his, and he could smell the alcohol on her breath. She kissed him, the sultry look still on her face. He accepted the kiss, before pulling back a bit and standing up, which forced her to get up as well.

Nya stumbled back a bit, before putting her hands on her hips. "Aww, what's the matter, baby?" Jay shook his head in disbelief. She was starting to sound… sober.

He sighed. "You're not really drunk, are you?"

Nya smile fell, and she looked down at the floor. "I… I'm sorry, Jay. I just wanted to spend more time with you, and get closer. It's been so long, Jay. So long." She walked forward, hugging him close. "I love you, Jay Walker."

He hugged her back, slowly gulping and moving his hands further down her back. He picked her up bridal style. She looked shocked for a moment, before he leaned down and kissed her deeply. He began moving towards the stairs.

As they went, Nya removed Jay's pilot's jacket and belt, which she left on the stairs.

Jay kissed her one more time, before they both entered Nya's room and Jay shut the door behind them.

 **And that's as far as I go! Why, you ask? Because I want to keep my T rating, thank you very much. I'm not going that far in this story, no sir. Like I always say, Constructive Criticism is always allowed! ALWAYS! Also, it would really be appreciated if you gave me a suggestion for an upload schedule. Thanks and Adios!**


	12. Chapter 12: Among Gods and Men

**Well, I'm back pretty quickly. I may have to start cutting down on my upload schedule. I'd like to upload a chapter at least once every 24 hours, but it's starting to cut into my sleep. For example, you may have noticed a few mistakes in the previous chapter [I.E. Me forgetting to respond to reviews, Nya being spelt Nay]. This is because I pulled an all-nighter to finish it by six that morning. So don't be surprised if it takes an extra day or two for me to upload a chapter. In response to the reviews for Chapter 11:**

 **NGGK- It's just a bit of brotherly/sisterly love, y'know? Don't worry, Kai's coming back next chapter.**

 **MidnightShard99- DAT'S RIIIITE! I've gotten 2 PM's from people who wished to remain anonymous who asked that I do a 'complete version' of the Chapter. Like a Lemon. I'm not exactly fond of the idea, but I'll put it in the list of One-shot choices, just if anyone else wants me to do it, or wants to do it themselves.**

 **Lia- I don't do that One True Pairing stuff, but if I did, I'm pretty sure Jaya would be my OTP as well.**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- Nya pretends to be drunk for love! Which is really, really weird now that I think about it [Note to Self- Stop Inserting Weird Crap into WoS]. Anyway, as far as seeing other characters at home, I suggest sending PM'ing me an idea you have and I'll most likely do it as a one-shot.**

 **I think I made the Easter Eggs a little TOO easy in the last chapter. Let's rock and roll! We're back in the Compound for this chapter.**

Chapter 12: Among Gods and Men

General Morro adjusted the cap that laid on his jet black hair. He had an important meeting to attend to, and he didn't want to be late. He turned a corner and into another hallway, where 12 men dressed in all white combat uniforms were standing as still as statues.

To the Ninjagans, they were known as the Skeleton Army. On the Dark Island, they were given the title 'Skulkin'. Garmadon's personal army. Loyal to the core. If Garmadon ordered them into a minefield that was being bombed and shot at by rockets, they'd still go. They lived to die for the Dictator.

All 12 men, holding customized DR-21s, snapped to attention when Morro walked by them. He felt their intense glare as he marched by, trying not to look nervous. The two steel doors that lay just a few feet in front of him were simply labeled 'War Room'.

He coughed, straightened his collar, and showed his ID access card to the camera that was looking down on him from above. The doors slowly creaked open, revealing a group of men huddled tightly around the map. More Skulkin Warriors were guarding the walls and exits, of which there were two.

All the men huddled around the map turned to look at Morro. One gave a look of disgust. "We were expecting Lord Garmadon, not his petty lap dog." He scowled at Morro, who recognized him as General Kozu, leader of the Darese Stone Army. He was known for his brutality and lack of mercy to any of his enemies.

Morro cleared his throat and removed his hat, putting on an unafraid, intimidating face. "Lord Garmadon is still grieving after the loss of… the loss of the Love, Queen, and Care-taker of the country, Lady Misako."

All men in the room lowered their heads, including Kozu and the Skulkin. All had known Misako as a kind soul and had respected her for her ability to adapt to any situation. They also admired her for her knowledge of military history and tactics, which proved useful to them.

Morro once again cleared his throat. "So, for the time being… until Lord Garmadon can come back, I've been given command of all military operations in Ninjago." He placed his cap back on, walking back to the map.

It was covered in small, labeled pieces of red, black, white, and purple. The red represented Ninjagan forces, black was the Stone Army, White was the Skulkin, and Purple was the Ouroborus Mafia and Pro-Dictatorship Militias.

"So, what's the situation?" Morro asked, leaning over the map to get a better look.

Another man in the room, one Morro also recognized as General Nadakhan, Commander of the Air Force, spoke up. "Well, we've got two options with our current state. We can move troops from the south," he pointed to multiple black pieces and drew a line with his finger, "and attack the Wildwood Forest. We have a 54% change of success in that attack with minor casualty losses for both sides. Or…" He picked up his finger, talking in an odd accent that wasn't exactly native to the Dark Island nor Ninjago, "We could converge the bulk of our forces on Ninjago City."

Morro looked down at the starred area on the map. "Ninjago City… with the capital comes its nation."

"It's a 50/50 chance we take the city, with heavy casualties for both sides." Nadakhan finished, crossing his arms and smiling his crooked smile.

Morro nodded. He looked to his left, where Commander Samukai, leader of the Skulkin, sat. "Commander, I want you to cut the power to the majority of the city. No lights, no microwaves, refrigerators, nothing."

Samukai nodded, clearly unhappy that he was taking orders from someone who wasn't Garmadon. "I will have my men on it when you give the word."

Morro then turned to Kozu, who had implanted his dagger into the table. "I need you to move 4 out of the 5 armies to hold defend and assault the city. Can you provide?"

Kozu nodded. "But we will have a problem." He pointed to the north of the city. "There lies Echo Canyon. The Ninjagans can easily move men from the Sea of Sand and flank us. We have no troops that can hold that area."

Morro crossed his arms, trying to find a way to solve the problem. "Does anyone have any spare armies on standby that can guard the north end of the city during the invasion?"

"In do believe I can be of service." Another foreign accent cut in. Into the War Room waltz Pythor, leader of the Ouroborus Mafia and the Militias. He was followed, as always, by his four loyal generals. The Skulkin raised their weapons at the Mobsters, who were dressed nicely and all had different color canes.

Morro gestured for the guards to be at ease. "He is a friend." The guards slowly lowered their weapons, returning to their original positions. "I apologize for the commotion, Mr. Pythor. It's just that the compound's been on high alert since… the assassination."

Morro once again looked down, sighing and shaking his head.

Pythor quickly bowed his head. "My condolences go to Lord Garmadon and your wonderful nation."

"Thank you." The room remained silent for a few moments before Morro quickly cleared his throat. "So, you say you have an army to hold the north?"

Pythor nodded, grinning an awful grin. "Why, yes. I have over 10,000 militiamen on standby in Ouroborus, just waiting for action."

"And what of the Ninjagan Army? They're in Ouroborus as well."

Pythor laughed coldly. "They will rush to their capital when the first shots are fired. Just you wait and see, General Morro. Just you wait."

"Then it's settled. For the Dark Island."

Each man raised his right hand, placing it on his heart. "For the Dark Island!" Each repeated.

Pythor was the last, placing a gloved hand on his chest. "For the Dark Island." He smiled. "And to the death of Ninjago."

PIXAL sat the kettle of water onto her tray, before bringing it down the hall. She could hear arguing coming from the War Room that was just a few hallways down. She sighed and muttered "Idiotic Commanders…" before continuing her quick stroll down the many halls of the compound.

When she got to the double doors that had recently been replaced, she hesitated before knocking twice. "M-Montgomery? I've brought some tea." She said, feeling pity for the man who lay behind the doors.

"Bring it in." Was the reply, in a soft and sad tone. Garmadon was lying down on his bed, reading a brown book.

PIXAL walked in, wearing standard Maid uniform. She set the tray down on his desk, pouring the water and inserting the bag of tea.

"PIXAL, I'd like to talk to you about something."

She slowly stopped pouring, set the kettle down, and turned, looking at him with sympathy in her eyes. "Yes?"

He put a bookmark into the page he was reading, and shut the book. He took off his reading glasses, setting them on his hand-carved wooden nightstand. "Have you ever lost someone important to you, PIXAL?"

She didn't know how to respond. "I-I am a robot. I cannot feel human emoti-."

Garmadon cut her off. "Nonsense. I saw you crying when my wife passed. I saw you crying when they showed the pictures of Ouroborus on the television. You clearly feel emotion. So have you ever lost someone important to you?"

She thought for a moment. "N-no, Montgomery. I don't know what it feels like, nor have I had it happen to me."

Garmadon nodded. "Well, it's the worst feeling in the world. What I'm going through now… I don't want you to go through with it. You're like my second child, PIXAL."

She nodded. "And you are like the father I never had, Montgomery."

They both smiled, sharing a warm moment together before PIXAL walked out of the bedroom, leaving the tea tray and Garmadon, who went back to reading his little book.

 **Soooo! What did y'all think? Let me know in the reviews, as I love reading them. They make me want to write more and more about this story! Constructive Criticism is always allowed!**


	13. Chapter 13: Fire's Warrior

**Alright! So, I've got a basic estimate for how long this story's going to be. I do believe I'll have 19-20 chapters in this story, and of course the one-shots and sequel. Because we're nearing the end, I'm going to start taking suggestions for One-shots. I have my own ideas, of course, but if you have one then PM it to me. It can be as crazy or wacky as anything. If you want me to write about Cole fighting a band of poo-slinging monkeys, then please send it in! It probably won't get written, but still! Review Response Time!**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- I'm going to be 100% honest: I have no idea what I'm going to do with Garmadon over the course of the rest of these stories/oneshots. I don't know whether to have him die, or to let him go free, or have him captured as a prisoner. I just don't know!  
Lia- I'm flattered by your comments on my writing! And I'll be focusing more and more on the Generals in the sequel. I dunno, maybe have Zane and Co. be assigned to assassinate them 1 by 1?**

 **DragonWhisperer762- Oh, Hell is coming quicker than you think. In fact it may be a few stanzas below…**

 **MidnightShard99- I wasn't sure how to fit Pixal into this story. Of course I wasn't going to leave her out. Perhaps you'll learn more about her back story in a one-shot.**

 **ONWARD, TO VICTORY, TYPOS, AND WARRIORS OF STEEL!**

Chapter 13: Fire's Warrior

The stone bunker's ceiling dripped drops of water onto Kai's helmet, making a _plip, plop_ sound. He looked straight forward, his breathing shaky. How many hours had they been fighting? 5? 10? 20? Kai couldn't remember. All he knew was that he wanted it to stop. He just wanted to go home with his friends and sister and live his normal life.

But that wasn't what Fate had in store for Kai. Now, here he sat, surrounded by other Rangers in a bunker being shelled by Darese artillery.

He could see Colonel Rogers leaning over the map with his advisors and other officers, pointing and yelling. He could make out some of it, but his ears were still ringing like an alarm clock, so it was difficult.

"Other… west… city…" he could hear Rogers saying, but that wasn't the full part. He shook his head, and the ringing began to die down.

Another artillery shell shook the bunker, causing rubble and dust to drop down on the Rangers. Kai coughed a couple times, adjusting his seating on the box. A hand grabbed his shoulder, trying to haul him up.

Before Kai could swing at whoever it was, he heard Lars Panrocka saying "Kai, Kai, we're on the move, c'mon."

Kai shook his head, standing and looking at his friend, who released his shoulder. He grabbed his L-19 from off the wall and turned back to Lars. The man's face seemed more paranoid, and he was caked from head to toe in dust and blood.

They walked towards the entrance, past Colonel Rogers, who looked up at them. Kai swore he saw the Colonel get a pained face, like he knew they weren't going to make it back.

They also walked by the medical bay, which was filled with soldiers from both the 12th Ranger Regiment and 3rd Engineering Division. Leaned over them were nurses, doctors, and other soldiers who were trying to help them out.

One of the soldiers attempting to help the staff was Skylar Chen. When she saw that Kai and Lars were leaving, she grabbed her own rifle and managed to smile a little. "We going out to kill more of those Stone-Cold Freaks?"

Lars shook his head. "No Skylar, you've got to stay here and keep helping."

Skylar's smile dropped. "What? B-but we're a squadron! A squadron doesn't leave others behind."

Kai stepped forward, with a look of pity on his face. "Lars is right, Skylar." He grabbed one of her gloved hands, which was covered in the blood of her fellow soldiers. "We need you alive." She looked down, but Kai gently tilted her head towards him. "I need you alive."

They looked in each other's eyes, both reaching an understanding. "I… alright." Skylar nodded and set down her L-19. "Stay safe guys. And try not to get killed." With that, she took one last look at Kai and walked back in the medical bay.

Lars sighed deeply and looked at his watch. "7:40. The sun's going down. Let's hope that with the night comes an end to the fight."

Kai nodded back, adjusting his rifle and flipping off the safety. They stopped again outside of the entrance, where they could hear gunfire and screams and explosions. Lars turned back to Kai. "We've got 3 lines of defense, each about a hundred yards in front of the next. The 1st is the trenches, 2nd is the crates, and 3rd is whatever we could spare down here."

Kai nodded. "Alright. You ready?"

Lars nodded. "Let's go."

Kai walked up the entrance into a smoke filled sky. The setting sun put an orangish hue on the smoke, making the sky a deep red. Lars went out after him. Artillery shells were flying over them, making craters everywhere. They ran up to the 3rd line of defense, dropping down behind a large explosives box.

Kai turned around, sitting up against the box. In the distance, in all of the smoke, he could make out the silhouette of Borg Towers. He was all that lay between the Stone Army and Ninjago City, the capital.

Lars began shouting over it all. "WE HAVE TO MOVE UP! C'MON!" And he took off. Kai ran after him, trying to keep up but getting hopelessly lost. In a few seconds, Kai could no longer see Lars. Another soldier, a shorter man from the 3rd Engineering Division, ran up to him and ducked his head.

"Are you heading to the front line!?" He screamed, trying not to get his head blown off.

Kai nodded. "Which way?!" The man pointed to his right before being shot in the head by a Stone Soldier.

Kai shook his head, breathing heavily. He began running towards where the man pointed, stopping in craters from time to time. He could see a group of medics dragging wounded and dead soldiers from the 1st Line. He could see them until they were blown to Hell by an artillery shell. They just kept pounding and pounding at the dirt and sand around Kai.

He raised his weapon and fired randomly into the dust towards the 1st line, still running as fast as he could. He didn't know if he hit any Darese soldiers, and he didn't care.

He kept running until he reached the trenches, at which point he jumped in. He landed on his ankle, causing a searing-hot pain to run up his leg. "AGH!" he screamed, scooching up against the trench's muddy walls. He clutched his ankle, looking up and down the trenches.

There was a Ranger using a mounted MG443 machine gun, just firing into the dust. He could see boys from the Engineering Division sending makeshift RC cars with grenades and other explosives strapped on them into the dirt before blowing them up, sometimes only 10 yards from in front of the trench.

A man wearing a beret walked up to Kai. His tag read Major Yuti on it, and he was holding an L-19 in his hands. He used one to grab Kai's arm and hoist him up. Kai immediately winced in pain and leaned back onto the trench. "GET UP, MAN! YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP FIGHTING! DO YOU WANNA DIE OUT HERE IN A TRENCH!?"  
Kai shook his head, still grimacing from having to put so much pressure on his ankle. He could still move it, so it wasn't broken. Kai figured the pain would subside in a few minutes. He grabbed his L-19 from the ground and went to the trench's front.

The man with the Beret continued walking down the line. Kai took aim, and began firing. He could now make out the black uniforms of the Stone Army, only about 40 yards from the trench. He gunned down two Darese soldiers before he heard a _Click!_

He cursed, forcefully pulling the magazine out of his rifle and reaching onto his vest for a new one. He slammed it into the L-19 and continued firing. He didn't know how long he stood there, firing. It felt like hours. But eventually, the gunfire from the opposing side stopped, as did the artillery barrages. The battlefield went silent.

A Ranger stepped back out of the trench towards the 2nd Line. "Did we win?!" He asked. Another voice replied, "YEAH! THEY BUGGERED OFF!"

The men began cheering, and Kai set his head on his rifle, still breathing deeply. Then, over of the cheers and shouts of joy, came a shrill cry from the enemy trench.

"MURTE A TE REITEJESSNUN!"

Kai froze. That was the Darese battle cry. Then he heard more shouts, and what sounded like thunder rolling towards them.

He looked up into the dust, trying to see something, anything. Then, about 200 yards ahead of them, he saw a dark cloud, rushing towards them. "IT'S THE STONE ARMY!" He shouted, before running back.

Soldiers began abandoning the trench at mass, retreating to the second line. Kai could see the man with the beret trying to call them back, before he was stabbed by a Darese bayonet.

Kai began to scuttle out of the trench, but he felt something pull him back in. Glancing back, he saw a Darese soldier tugging him. The soldier went at him, armed with nothing except for a grenade. Kai went to block him with his L-19, holding it sideways.

The Stone Soldier grabbed it, and they began wrestling over Kai's rifle. Kai stuck out his index finger and drove it into the man's eye socket. He screamed before releasing the rifle. Kai aimed the L-19 and sprayed him.

He stood there for a moment, shaking and looking at his hand. _'Good thing I wore gloves…'_ He thought, still shaking. Another man grabbed him. "C'mon, we've gotta go! Or you could stay and get gutted, Ranger!"

Kai dropped his hand, and decided to take the man's advice. He jumped out of the trench, leaving his L-19, and ran faster than he ever had. After around 40 seconds, he could see the crates. He hopped one, and continued running, following the herd.

Fortunately, the men from the 2nd Line figured out what was going on, and the majority took on with them. Kai could see a small handful stay back. He could see them firing, slowing down the massive black cloud before it ascended on them. He turned back, almost running into a bed that had been turned into a piece of cover.

He leaped over it, gasping for air from his 400 yard run. A Ranger saw that he was unarmed, and went over to him, giving him an L-19. "Use it wisely! They'll be here in seconds!"

Kai nodded, turning back and standing. The black cloud had over-run the 2nd line. Out of his peripheral vision, he could make out medics, soldiers, and the wounded being brought out of the bunker and into armored vehicles.

Colonel Rogers took out his P12S and put on a helmet. "SOLDIERS! WE'RE EVACUATING THE BUNKER AND RETREATING TO THE CITY! DON'T LET THEM THROUGH!" He cried, taking position behind a dresser.

As soon as the Stone Soldiers were 50 yards out, machine-gunners began firing. Kai began letting bullets fly, hitting soldiers left and right. The wave began shrinking as it got closer. Man after man fell victim to the Ninjagans.

By the time the Stone Army had reached the 1st Line, their numbers had been cut down by at least 600 men. In 50 yards. Only around 80 remained, and they began going into hand-to-hand combat with the soldiers.

Kai fired into the head of a soldier who tried to stab him, before throwing down his L-19 and picking up a P12S a dead Engineer had dropped. He raised it and shot a Darese soldier in the stomach. He didn't have any armor, so the bullet when clean through him, causing him major blood loss and trauma. He kept squeezing the trigger, and when the magazine emptied on that, he began using whatever other weapons he had left.

He threw a grenade into a crowd of 5 Stone soldiers and pulled out his knife. He stabbed one in the back, picking up a DR-21.

For the next 5 minutes, Kai, the Rangers, and the Engineers went into a rampage, killing whatever other Stone soldiers hadn't been killed. Even when they tried to run or surrender, they were shot, stabbed, or blown to shreds.

Kai fell onto his rear. All gunshots had ceased. Rangers began picking up and preparing to head into the city. A shaken man walked up to Kai, who was looking down into the dirt.

"We're moving out."

Kai looked up to see the Colonel standing next to Lars. Kai took the Colonel's hand, and was pulled to his feet.

"We won this fight, but the battle's not over. They'll be back, and in stronger numbers." The Colonel said, before walking to help a group of medical officers carrying a wounded man into a truck.

Kai looked at Lars, who was still twitching and breathing deeply, before walking back towards the trucks, the men, and the capital of Ninjago.

 **What did you think? This'll be the last battle of Warriors of Steel, and it'll carry on throughout the next few chapters. Then I'll tone it down with the Nya and Garmadon chapters, followed by an epilogue.**

 **MURTE A TE REITEJESSNUN!- DEATH TO THE UNRIGHTEOUS!**

 **Then it's one-shots galore! Adios!**


	14. Chapter 14: Lightning's Warrior

**Chapter 14, ladies and gentlemen! We're nearing the end of our story, and the Battle of Ninjago City has begun! Review Responses:  
DragonWhisperer762- I'm so glad you enjoyed it! There'll be more combat to come in the next few chapters!**

 **Lia- I'm happy to hear that, because that's the effect I- and most writers- are going for! Trying to immerse the readers into the scenes, the action, the drama!**

 **MidnightShard99- I can't believe I spelled Skylor wrong. I SPELT IT CORRECTLY IN THE LAST KAI CHAPTER! How could you do this to me, me?**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- Rest assured, Garmadon has no chance of losing his life until the sequel. And even then, it's not guaranteed that he's going to be killed, so don't worry!**

 **And, with little chat this time 'round, let's jump right it!**

Chapter 14: Lightning's Warrior

Jay leaned his covered head against the seat of the cockpit. He was trying to steady his breathing, but he was still feeling shaky as ever. He tilted his plane slightly left, adjusting his course. He stole a quick glance down at the ocean, trying to take his mind off of what he was about to fly into.

He could see all 3 members of Squadron D, Jay's squadron in the 47th Interceptor wing. One of them, nicknamed 'Karnage' began to speak into the radio.

"Alright boys. We're about to fly into one helluva storm. Just keep the main task at hand. Protect the Marines and make sure that Tank column makes it to Borg Towers." His voice sounded calm, but the other 3 pilots knew that he was on edge, just like they were.

It was their first large battle, with anti-aircraft and hundreds of enemy aircraft all shooting at them. Jay steadied his FN-34 fighter and looked directly ahead of him. There it was, Ninjago City. Smoke was rising from different areas of the city, and Jay could already see jets swirling around in the sky, fighting in an endless dogfight.

He flipped on the weapons system. Another member of his squadron, nicknamed 'Piano', seemed to be the most calm out of them all, which was odd for him.

"We're pulling passes and strafing runs, right Boss?" He asked, as he brought his own aircraft to a steady position.

"Huey and Joker will strafe, while you and I provide them support by taking on the K2 fighters in the area." Karnage responded.

Jay smiled at hearing his nickname. Joker. He just loved it. He checked the screen to see how his plane was doing. _'Engine's fine, MG443s all functional, 20 missiles in storage, 10 bombs in storage.'_ He thought, flipping on his afterburners.

"This is Huey, checking in. If necessary, are we clear to bomb the Tower?" The last man asked. He usually didn't talk much unless it was required for the mission.

"Headquarters said that we just need to get those Devil Dogs to where they need to be. All civilians have been evacuated, so we're clear to hit anything except for the City Hall." Karnage replied, still sounding kind of nervous.

Jay didn't blame him. They all felt those butterflies in their stomach. This is what they signed up for, to protect their friends and fellow soldiers. For Jay, that was his friend down there. It had been confirmed that one of the Marine Divisions protecting the tank column had been the 9th, which was the one that Cole was in.

Jay had been called back a week early from his little vacation when news had gotten out that the Dark Island had staged a well-coordinated attack on the capital. Nya begged him not to go, to disobey orders. But then his squadron would be a man-short, and though it doesn't sound like much, one man could mean the survival of the entire squad.

So Jay went, and he was starting to regret it. His plan zipped over the City docks, where destroyers from the Navy sat to defend the harbor from any sort of sea attack. He zoomed over countless skyscrapers, and took a glance down at the city, _his_ city.

That's when the anti-aircraft started to fire at him. It was mostly coming from the rim of the city, and was extremely inaccurate.

Karnage began speaking back into the radio. "Alright, you know what to do. Joker, Huey, hawk attack formation."

Both Jay and his comrade brought their planes left and to a downward angle until they were aimed at a long street running towards Borg Towers. Jay could see gunfire and a long line of tanks running towards the tower.

"Releasing bombs." He heard Huey say into the radio, before he watched his squad mate drop a payload of 4 bombs onto a building that had gunfire coming from it and towards the tank column. The building fell into a heap of bricks, followed by a large cloud of dust which obscured the view of the remaining Darese soldiers in the road.

Jay spotted an EG-56 Darese tank rolling towards the Marines. "Releasing payload." He said, before dropping 3 bombs onto the tank, watching it explode into a fiery ball of metal.

"Hot damn on a plate!" He heard Huey exclaim. The pilot dropped two more bombs onto a Darese MG position.

"They've got this street locked down! They don't want these Marines getting through for nothing!" Jay shouted, before adding, "We're out of road, we've gotta make another pass."

Both pilots banked their planes right, bringing them back towards the road. Jay caught a glimpse of Piano and Karnage firing missiles left and right. They took down K2 after K2. One of the downed Darese planes slammed into a AT-45 Tank, which killed the Marines nearby as well as blew up the tank like a firecracker.

Jay winced at the scene below. Marines scuttled to help the wounded, before advancing up. They were all just little dots from way up in the FN-34. But they were important dots, dots that needed to be protected. Now back over the enemy fortifications, Jay dropped another bomb onto a Darese MG nest right outside Borg Towers. The whole tower vibrated, and Jay was afraid that it was going to collapse.

But thankfully, the vibrations subsided, and they went back to work bombing and fighting. The anti-aircraft was becoming a big problem. One of the shots from it grazed Jay's plane, leaving a small gash in the wing.

"They're getting more accurate." Jay said into the radio. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, these guys can hit for their lives." Huey responded, smugly. "Ah, hell, I'm out of bombs."

Jay nodded, checking his own bomb count. "2 left. I'll use them on this tank rolling up."

He dropped both bombs, hitting an EG-56. It also exploded, sending the Darese soldiers scrambling and trying to figure out what was hitting them. Jay chuckled a few times at his success, before he heard a cry coming from the radio.

"THIS IS HUEY! I'M GOING DOWN! REPEAT, I'VE BEEN HIT BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT!"

Jay cursed, before tilting his plane to see Huey's. "Eject, dammit! EJECT!"  
"It's jammed! I can't m-"

Huey's plane slammed into the bottom of Borg Towers, taking out the building's lower-floor supports. The Tower shuddered and jolted, before the loud groaning noise of metal being twisted and snapped ripped through the air. The tower's lights went out, and it began to fall to its left. All the fighting seemed to stop as soldiers from both sides watched in horror. The tower took down two other buildings before smashing into the ground, creating a cloud of dust that immediately spread throughout the city and over the harbor.

Jay pulled up, at a loss for words. He had lost sight of the Marines on the ground. He couldn't believe that Huey, the 'best pilot in his air wing' according to the others at the bases, had just gone down in such an awful fashion. He took a deep breath and looked back up to Piano and Karnage.

They had resumed their dogfight with the K2's, and were back to downing them. "I'm out of bombs! Huey's gone, and it's not looking good! The dust should clear in about 3 minutes, but until then I can't do anything! Most of the Darese fortifications were in the Tower, but I don't think the Marines can see, so it's-"

Karnage cut him off. "Joker, shut up! There are too many K2's, so get your ass up here and give us a hand!"

Jay nodded, still hyperventilating. He brought his plane up at an angle, firing a missile at a K2. It hit the engine, causing the plane to explode. He continued firing missile after missile. A K2 began firing its machine gun from behind him, which ripped through his fighter's wings.

"Dammit! Piano, get my back, I can't shake him!" He exclaimed, trying to move left and right in an attempt to get rid of the K2.

Jay heard an explosion, before turning to see the K2 already gone. "Done." Piano said, bringing his plane back towards the center of the city.

Jay looked down. The dust was beginning to clear, and he could almost make out the shape of the AT-45's sitting in the street.

It went on like this for quite a long time, or at least it felt that way for Jay. He kept firing missiles and the MG-443s, taking out K2 after K2. His friends were doing the same. Jay could once again see the column moving towards the Tower's wreckage.

He began to steady his breathing, shooting another missile towards a K2. He felt untouchable. For a moment, he almost felt invincible. But, as he soon learned, no one was invincible in war.

"I'm hit! Repeat, I'm hit!" Piano's cry ripped through the radio. Jay jumped in his seat, bringing his plane towards Piano's. He could see smoke emitting from his FN-34's left engine. "I-I'm still in the air! I can make it back to the Aircraft Carrier if I leave now!"

Jay could hear Karnage's sigh through the radio. "Joker, escort Piano's plane to the Carrier. I'll stay back and give you cover."

Jay slumped in his seat. He wasn't going to lose another squad mate. Not this time. Not today. Nya's words rang through his ears once more.

' _Don't ever be average.'_

"I'm sorry sir, I can't do that. I'm staying back here to fight, and if you don't like it…" he stopped to take a breath. "You'll just have to shoot me down."

He heard Karnage utter a quick curse. "Alright. Be safe, Joker. Try not to get killed, yeah?"

Jay smiled under his helmet. "Yes sir. Good luck."

He watched as Karnage and Piano's planes sped back over the harbor. He turned his attention back to the K2s. He had about 7 missiles left. 13 enemies.

He fired a missile at one of the K2s. It, as expected, ripped through the plane and destroyed it, sending it tumbling towards the City below. Another 3 missiles, another 3 fighters down. He fired his MG443, taking out yet another K2. A Darese jet swung around, firing a missile. It made contact, shredding the rear of his FN-34.

He cursed, aiming the plane towards a lengthy overpass next to the street that the tank column was on.

"This is Joker, Mayday, Mayday! Going down at grid 4.5.22, repeat, g-"

That was all he could get out before his plane slammed into the overpass and everything went black.

 **Cliff hanger! So, leave whatever I did right or wrong in the reviews below, and remember I'm taking One-Shot requests! If you have an idea, just PM it to me! Adios!**


	15. Chapter 15: Earth's Warrior

**Alright! We're back to Cole! This is his first combat chapter, if I'm not mistaken, and I'm pumped to write about it! So please leave what you think, constructive criticism is always allowed! Review Responses for Chapter 14:**

 **NGGK- I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Lia- I would publish, but I don't want to get sued out the rear by Lego. –Insert Disclaimer Here-**

 **DragonWhisperer762- The "Tower" here is the tower owned and operated by Borg Industries. Unfortunately, I DID stay up until Midnight to get this one completed before I left, but I can sleep in the car.**

 **MNC- You'll find out more about Jay and Cole's situations in the chapter below!**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- Of COURSE I wouldn't kill my favorite character… YET!**

 **Alright, I've got big news after the actual chapter, so don't immediately click off!**

Chapter 15: Earth's Warrior

Cole heard the plane go down before he saw it.

He was just starting to get the dust out of his eyes when he heard the worst sound he'd ever heard. It was like a knife running up and down a rusty garbage can. He turned just in time to see a FN-34 slamming into an overpass only about 140 yards to his right. He shook his head, and picked up his dust-covered L-19.

He and the rest of the Marines had left Ignacia on schedule, heading to the Wildwood Forest. But about halfway to the goal, they had reached word that Ninjago City was under siege. They pumped the tanks to full power, and in a few days time they had made it to the City. And were immediately met by combat.

They had broken through the Darese line in the outskirts of the city and were ordered to push towards the center, where Borg Towers was. But now there was no tower, and the tanks were just left sitting there with nothing to do except wait for more orders.

Cole began running towards the lead tank, constantly looking back at the cloud of smoke where the plane had landed. He reached the front, where Lt. Dan was attempting to get High Command on the radio.

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant, a plane just went down about a hundred yards or so back!" Cole began shouting, out of breath.

The Lieutenant spun the unlit cigarette he had in his lips. "You got a point, Brookstone?" He said, taking his attention momentarily from the radio.

"W-well, we gotta go rescue the pilot! I can take a team of maybe three people and-"

Lt. Dan cut him off by raising his right hand. "Soldier, for all you know that pilot is dead. He came in fast and hit something pretty unstable for a jet to land on. He's most likely buried under all that rubble."

Cole shook his head. "You don't know that! But what you do know is the code. Never leave a fallen soldier behind."

Lt. Dan tapped the radio against his helmet, pondering whether to let the young Marine go or not. "Fine. But it's a volunteer only mission, Brookstone. I'm sure the tanks will be fine without three men."  
Cole smiled. "You won't regret it, sir. We'll come back with that pilot, alive and well!"

"I'd better not, now, would anyone like to go with Brookstone on this little 'rescue mission'?" Lt. Dan asked, looking around and back at the tank behind him.

One man hopped off. He was missing his helmet, his hair was a mess, and he was covered with dust, but Cole recognized him instantly.

"If Cole goes, I go." Dareth said proudly, pulling the bolt back on his L-19. He walked forward, giving Cole a fist-bump.

Cole looked around. "Anyone else?!" He called.

A second man stepped out from behind Lt. Dan's tank. "I'll go wiff yoo."

Cole smiled at Private Rodney, still with his bruised and purple lip.

"That's all, Lieutenant." Cole said.

"Good. Bring your team and that pilot back here in an hour, am I clear?" the Lieutenant asked, checking his watch for the current time.

"Yes sir." All three men responded. And with that, they took off away from the tanks and down an alleyway to their right.

"Bwookstone, you'd betta be wight about dis piwot." Rodney said, running after Cole, who was eager to reach the plane.  
Dareth turned towards him, running backwards."Don't you worry. Cole knows what he's doing, trust me. He's smart. Like me." Dareth gave a smile, before smacking the back of his head against a stop sign and falling to the dust-covered ground.

"Yeah Tuwner, you're weal smawt." Rodney chuckled before helping the private to his feet.

"You gonna be alright, Dareth?" Cole asked, stopping for a moment to see if his friend was okay.

"Y-yeah. Just a little misstep is all." Dareth gave a reassuring smile while rubbing the back of his head.

Cole nodded. "Then let's keep moving. It's only about 50 yards up."

They kept going, twisting their way through alleys and dodging Darese patrols. They stopped at the last alley, where they could see the plane. It had smashed through the overpass, and the rear was covered in rubble, but the cockpit looked okay.

The only downside was that the plane was surrounded by about twenty Darese soldiers, all armed to the teeth. They were circling the plane, trying to get a good look at whoever was inside. The window, however, was tinted, and Cole couldn't see any movement.

"How do you want to do this?" Dareth asked, raising his L-19.

Cole looked around spotting a large chunk of concrete and a Sedan. "Rodney, you move to the car. Dareth, you take the concrete. I'll draw covering fire from the alley. And whatever you do, do not shoot at that cockpit. On 3."

One of the Stone soldiers looked at the alleyway, and began shouting to his friends in Darese.

"3!" Cole yelled, before firing his L-19, immediately striking down two of the unsuspecting enemies.

Rodney bolted, sliding behind the car. He broke open the passenger side window, and began firing, hitting another of the soldiers. Dareth dived behind the concrete, clutching his rifle close to his chest. Cole could see the man was hyperventilating.

The Marine continued firing from his spot in the alley. "What the hell is he doing?!" He shouted out loud. "DARETH! GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR!"

Dareth nodded, shaking. He brought his rifle out, firing a quick burst. His shots ripped through the leg of a Stone soldier, immobilizing him. Cole gave him a thumbs up, before continuing his own firing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out Rodney standing up and firing from the car. A bullet ripped through his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Cole raised his L-19 and shot the Stone Soldier in the head, making him fall back onto the dusty ground. Dareth fired a bullet into the chest of the last man.

They both ran up to Rodney, who was wallowing on the ground in pain. "Ugh, dammit! I'm hit! These bastawds hit meh!"

"You're going to be fine, it's just a flesh wound." He helped Rodney to his feet. "Can you make it back to the tank column?"

Rodney nodded. "Good wuck, Brookstone. I hope to see yoo guys back soon." And with that, he took off back down the alley.

Cole turned his attention to the wreckage of the FN-34. He walked over, with Dareth at his heels. He looked into the cockpit, trying to make out the pilot. He looked just below the cockpit's window, where there appeared to be a name surrounded by thunder bolts.  
The name was covered in dust. Cole took his gloved hand and brushed it off, and what he say hit him like a brick. Plastered on the side of the plane, in fancy blue paint were the words 'Sr. Airman Jay Walker'

"No way…" Dareth said. "That's the flyboy we met at Ignacia!"

"Get the other side, Dareth. We're lifting the window." Cole said, setting his fingers underneath the glass. Dareth nodded, and positioned himself at the other side of the plane.

"On 3. One, two, three!" Cole brought up the glass, feeling the supports keeping it in place begin to stretch. "C'mon, just a little more!" He put all of his strength into that window. He heard a _SNAP_ and looked down to find that the supports on his side had broken.

Dareth looked over at him. "Holy crap dude!" He said, giving him a thumbs up. Cole smiled and reached into the cockpit, looking at the front for the 'open windshield' button. He found it, and the rest of the window creaked open slowly, considering it had been damaged in the fall.

Cole turned his attention to the pilot, who had a P12S shakily lifted with one hand and aimed at Dareth.

"W-who are you?!" The pilot demanded. Cole recognized the voice instantly, confirming that it was indeed his friend inside the plane.

"Easy Walker, it's me, Cole." He pushed the P12S downward and away from Dareth's face.

"C-Cole?" Jay asked, looking over. "Cole!" He shouted, throwing off his helmet. A piece of glass from the helmet had shattered and left a nasty looking gash in his left eyebrow.

Cole pointed to the wound. "You going to be alright?" Jay felt around his eyebrow with a gloved hand, seemingly just noticing the injury.

"Yeah, I'll be alright." He nodded his head reassuringly, giving Cole a reassuring smile.

Cole helped him out of the cockpit. "Well, we'd better get you back. The medical examiners will want to get a quick look at you." He pulled out his radio. "Lt. Dan? Lt. Dan, do you read? It's Brookstone, I've secured the pilot and we're about to head back to you, over."

He waited for a reply, listening to the steady static coming from the speaker. "Negative Brookstone, I've got a new set of orders for you. This one comes down from the top." The Lieutenant's voice boomed out of the radio.

"You're to take your team and link up with a group of Army Rangers, part of Colonel Rogers' delegation. Then, with the supply of Rangers, you're to go to City Hall and assist a group of Spec Ops guys in a high-level assassination."

Cole sighed, looking over at Jay. The pilot shrugged. "I'm fine with it as long as I don't have to shoot any nice Queens." He said, putting his P12S back into his holster.

Cole put his mouth up to radio once more. "Yes sir, we'll get right on it. What way are the Rangers, sir?" Cole listened to the directions provided before putting his radio back on his vest.

"Which way, Cole?" Dareth asked, straightening out his dust-covered vest.

Cole picked up his L-19 and pointed into another alleyway. "About 1 kilo north." He turned towards Jay, who had pulled out his P12S once more and was fiddling with the hammer. "You know how to shoot that?"

"Yeah, I can hold my own." Jay responded, not taking his attention from the firearm in his hands.

Dareth strutted forward, leading the two others into the alleyway. They continued walking for a good 5 minutes before they came across another patrol. "Heads up, Darese sentries about 20 yards up." Dareth said. "I'm counting 15, no, 20 guys out there. We can't take this."

Cole nodded. Time for another plan. "Alright," he said, turning to his fellow soldiers. "What I want you to do is-." he was interrupted by the sounds of L-19s and MG-443s going off.

Turning back, he saw that all 20 Stone Soldiers were dead, and that 2 armored trucks surrounded by about 10 other Ninjagese soldiers had pulled up next to the alley. Cole stood up, followed by Dareth and Jay.

A soldier stepped out of one of the armored trucks, walking towards them. His face was obscured by a rag and a helmet his was wearing.  
Cole straightening his L-19, looking the man dead in the eyes. "Are you the Rangers who're supposed to assist us in getting to the Spec Ops team?"

The man nodded, before removing his rag to reveal…

"Kai!" Jay and Cole exclaimed in unison.

"No freaking way! First Cole and now you! This is so great! I mean, really, I haven't seen you in forever! Like, really, I mean I did see Nya a few days ago, but to see you here is just great man! I think that-." Kai shook his head.

"Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut the hell up. Thanks." Kai smiled, before breaking into a laugh. Cole followed him soon after, before wiping a tear from his eye.

"Oh man." He pointed to a red-headed girl he noticed sitting up on one of the MG-443s. "Nya showed us a picture of her you sent. She said that she was your girlfriend."

Kai shrugged. "I guess you could say that. So what are we waiting for? Are we going to go save some Spec Ops boys or what?"

Cole nodded, hopping onto the back of one of the armored trucks. He could hear Kai speaking into the radio.

"Listen up Rangers. The City Hall only about half a mile up, so get ready. It's being defended by Skulkin soldiers. Trust me, these guys aren't your average sit-and-shooters. They're well trained. They're well armed. So just be careful."

Cole remembered hearing about the Skulkin in the news, something about the soldiers in all white who were selected from the best of the best to fight in Garmadon's personal army. Based on what he could remember, Cole formed a conclusion about the Skulkin: They were bad news

He checked his L-19 and looked over at Dareth. The man was taking deep breaths and looking straight out the back of the truck. Cole put his hand on Dareth's shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Hey, it's just me." Cole chuckled. "Remember, you've got me right behind you."

Dareth looked up at him "Always?"

Cole gave him a smile back. "Always."

The truck began rumbling forwards, going over a piece of rubble from time to time. Cole had begun to space out, tapping his helmet with his finger. He liked it when there wasn't fighting. He enjoyed the peace and quiet. But still, the knowledge of having to fight Ninjago's elite was fresh in his mind, looming in the back of his head.

The sound of the large MG-443 in his truck firing brought him back to reality. He could hear the driver shouting from the front. "SKULKIN ON THE ROOF, THEY- CRAP, ANTI-ARMOR MISSILE, INCOMING!"

The truck jolted and slammed onto its side, sending Dareth out of the truck. Cole slammed against the ground, hard. His helmet took most of the impact, but he still felt slightly dizzy. "Dareth?! Jay?! Kai?! He began calling.

He saw someone running towards him. The man put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him towards a piece of rubble. Cole's vision cleared up, revealing the man was Jay. "What, you didn't think I was going to leave you in the dust, did you?" The pilot grinned, still clutching his P12S in his hand.

Cole sat up against the piece of rubble, using it as cover. "Screw you Jay." He felt around for his L-19, finding it nowhere. He looked down, finding the body of a Skulkin carrying a DR-25, which was the most advanced weapon in the DR series.

He picked it up, checking the magazine. It was full, with 35 bullets in it. He pulled back the weapon's bolt and turned. He aimed down the weapon's sights and fired. A Skulkin soldier on the City Hall's roof fell to the ground 30 feet below.

He could hear Jay firing off poorly placed shots in the direction of the building. He turned, firing the pilot trying to shoot while not being shot by blind firing. Cole shook his head and turned to find Kai and three other Rangers huddled behind one of the armored trucks. The one person he couldn't see was Dareth.

He looked around for his fellow Marine, behind the trucks and rubble. He remembered that the narcissist had been thrown from the truck, and that he wasn't wearing his helmet. He looked back in the direction they came, seeing the Marine unmoving on the concrete.

Cole motioned for Kai to give him covering fire, to which Kai nodded and proceeded to shoot at a few Skulkin hiding inside of the City Hall. Cole bolted, running down the street as fast as he could. He slid to a stop, grabbing Dareth by his arms and dragging him to cover.

He checked the man's head, finding nothing out of the ordinary. He sighed in relief; Dareth had just hit his head and was knocked out. Cole grabbed Dareth's L-19 and dropped the DR-25. He kneeled and fired towards the Hall.

It took them another three minutes, but eventually the entrance was clear. Kai ordered his men to begin counting casualties and took the redhead and another dust-covered man to the entrance. Jay quickly ran to get behind them and Cole began a jog as well.

By the time Cole reached the door, the Rangers were already in their breeching position. Jay was hiding behind Kai, his pistol at the ready. Kai glanced at Cole, gesturing to the door. "You want to do the honors? Those Special Ops boys aren't going to save themselves."

Cole nodded, and with a shaky breath, he kicked in the door.

 **Okay! Now for that news: I'm going on vacation to Canada a few hours after I post this chapter, and I'll be gone for a week. As soon as I get back, I'll get started on Zane's chapter, and the story should be finished by August 10** **th** **! Alright, I'll see you guys next week!**


	16. Chapter 16: Ice's Warrior

**How do y'all do? I'm back from Canada, and may I just say, it really is quite the place. But now I'm here, and with the Walrus comes the Warriors. Of Steel. Anywho, thanks to those who commented on last chapter! Chapter 16! Warning, this is the LAST Combat Chapter in WoS.**

Chapter 16: Ice's Warrior

[15 Minutes preceding the end of 'Earth's Warrior']

Zane Julien returned to his cold, metal seat on the dark HK-25. Anti-Aircraft Fire rocked the helicopter from time to time, sending a jolt through the men on board. Zane clutched his rifle, wallowing in the silence that presented itself.

Zane laid his CL-19 against his lap, slowly leaning his head against the inside of the helicopter. He took a quick glance around at what remained of his team. _His_ team. He was in charge now. Where there should've been three men, looking back at Zane with prepared eyes, there were only two, either praying or looking down at the floor below.

This was it. This was their first mission since…

Zane closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about it anymore. It had only become worst when it was announced that they were partaking in- what else- another assassination.

Zane opened one eye, taking a photograph out of his vest. It was a picture of their target, one General J. Samukai. Commander of Garmadon's personal army of elites, the Skulkin. His heartbeat began to become more rapid as he examined the photo further, looking into the cold, dead eyes of a man who was filled with pure, endless hate and rage. A murderer.

Zane pondered the label he had just bestowed upon this Darese commander. Murderer. One who kills another. Was Zane any different? Zane looked down at his rifle, which had helped him slaughter so many before.

Zane slipped the picture back into his combat vest, flipping the safety off on his CL-19. The pilot's voice came through the HK-25's intercom system, flooding the back and pushing out the silence.

"We're about two minutes out from City Hall. I hope you guys know what you're getting into…" His voice faltered, and the intercom was once more silent.

Zane stood, using the helicopter's walls to push him up. He winced as a slight pain made its way into his stomach. He was still feeling the pain from the bullet that had ripped through him on his last excursion. He took a good look at his team, who were looking at him with eyes that were more commonly seen on a child then on a nation's most feared soldier. Zane examined the one on the left.

Luicha Khatosi. A refugee who's family was killed by Garmadon's twisted regime. He had seen his father die in front of him. Zane pursed his lips, thinking back to how his own father was murdered. The Darese man was clutching his CL-19 between his knees, with the barrel pointed upwards at the ceiling.

Zane turned his head to the right.

Henry "Hank" Jones. A man who's been shooting since he was 5. One who was supposed to be used to killing. And yet, as Zane looked into his eyes, he could make out one, prominent emotion hidden beneath his baby blues: regret.

Zane looked up at the ceiling, examining the last member of his team.

James McClyde. Looking down on them with a hawk's gaze from his perch in the Heavens. Zane took a shaky breath, turning his attention back to the mission. This was it. His first mission as leader. He needed to get something out, his breathing was still rocky. He steadied himself and took one deep breath.

"My fellow squad mates, I have fought with you since the day I joined the Navy. I trained with you. I protected you. You protected me. We've always been there for each other, no matter how daunting the task, no matter the consequences." He took another breath, still looking at the two men in front of him. "Today is probably going to be our toughest mission yet. I'm not going to ask you to get on the ground with me and help me kill more men and women. You've done enough. But if you come with me, and fight with me, and protect me, and are there for me, then you can join me when I fight to protect my capital, my nation, and my friends."

For a moment, the helicopter was silent. The only sounds were that of the rotors spinning above them, keeping the helicopter in the air. Then Luicha stood up, holding his rifle against his chest.

"For James." He said, a more fierce look coming to his face.

Henry followed suite, standing and holding his own CL-19. "For James."

Zane smiled at them both, and they smiled back.

"For James." He said, picking up his own CL-19.

The pilot's voice returned to the intercom. "We're under heavy fire, we're about to land! You've got 20 seconds to get off this helicopter, or you're coming back with us!"

Gunfire from outside filled the air. It was all DR-25 fire. Zane readied himself, ignoring the growing pain in his stomach. The doors of the HK-25 flew open, and Zane hopped onto the grass below. He was followed closely by Luicha and Henry, who began firing north.

Zane took a look in that direction, seeing the City Hall. It's once great marble pillars had been shattered by explosives and gunfire. The windows were blown out, and part of the dome that covered it all was caved in.

Henry got onto his stomach in the grass, firing at men who were dressed completely in white. "Skulkin!" He shouted, continuing to fire.

Zane moved forward, trying not to get gunned down by the men in white who fired at him from the windows. He fired two rounds, taking out one in the window. Another Skulkin placed Zane in his sights. He was promptly shot dead by Luicha, who was covering Zane from his position further back in the grass.

After another few minutes of fighting, the gunfire outside ceased. All the Skulkin firing from inside had been killed, and not a scratch had been taken by the NNSOG. They moved to the left wall of the building.

It was made of fine stone, easy enough to breach into with some explosives.

"Luicha, rig up the breaching charge." Zane said, before flipping on his radio. "HQ, is the building clear of civilians?"

A static-y reply came back: "Yeah, the building was cleared during the first invasion wave. Most civilians are out of the city already."

Zane nodded. "Has the Mayor been evacuated?"

HQ came through once more. "Affirmative, MNC has been evacuated. You're clear to engage anyone or anything that moves inside the building."

"Thanks HQ. Julien out." Zane flipped off his radio, readying his CL-19.

Luicha had planted the breaching charge onto a softer point in the wall. He flipped on the explosive, blowing a hole in the wall.

Henry moved in first, followed by Zane, and Luicha brought up the rear, making sure no one would flank them from behind. They surveyed the room, rifles raised and ready for action.

There were rows of cubicles heading all the way down to the end of the room. Luicha spoke quickly. "I suggest we stay together. We don't know which cubicles these bastards are hiding in."

Henry nodded, as did Zane. "Alright. Let's move up. The door's on the right side of the room. Remain alert and cautious. Don't let anything jump out and surprise you, because then you're basically screwed." Zane advised.

"Damn man, this is creepy." Henry said, looking around. "I think they cut the power to the whole building."

A Skulkin leaped up, swinging at him with a small axe. Henry turned his rifle to hold him at bay. He fell back against the wall, allowing the Skulkin to get in another swing. The second attack missed Henry by an inch. Before he could raise the axe a third time, he was shot dead by Luicha, who helped his fellow soldier to his feet.

"Next time Hank, try to shoot the guy carrying the medieval weapon, yeah?" Luicha advised, smirking.

They continued on, reaching the door without any further instances of violence. It was shut, but the entrance said 'Mayor's Office'.

Henry booted down the door, allowing his squad mates to enter the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. No enemies in sight.

"Clear." Luicha muttered, before sitting on the desk.

"Wait." Zane said. "Sweep the room. Something's not right. They didn't trash this office or even move much of anything."

Zane checked the bookcase, which was free of anything. He turned in time to see Luicha bend to glance under the desk. "BOMB!" Luicha shouted standing before being blown against the wall. The shockwave sent Zane back into the bookcase, which collapsed on top of him.

He could make out Henry rushing into the room before helping to get the book case off of him. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Check Luicha!" Zane shouted, causing Henry to turn and kneel next to his other comerade.

Zane stood and immediately fell back down. He yelped in pain as a large, sharp jolting pain ripped into his stomach." He took deep breaths. The recovery was worse than the actual shot itself.

Zane stood, supporting himself on the wall. He shuffled forward, kneeling next to Henry and looking down at Luicha.

The man was groaning in pain, and his chest was filled with shrapnel. Henry had a look of exasperation on his face. "Zane, if he doesn't get to a hospital in 10 minutes, he'll bleed out."

The Captain put his head in his hands. "Alright. Hank, take Luicha back outside and call for reinforcements and a helicopter."

Henry looked over. "And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to complete the mission." Zane said, standing up and walking out of the Mayor's Office.

Another door was placed on the other side of the room. Zane made a quick jog over, before hearing voices coming from the other side. It was all Darese, a language Zane knew fluently, but he couldn't quite make it out.

Looking through the glass on the door, he could see that there were five men, all dressed in white. It was clearly the City Hall's Lobby and front entrance, as two large wooden doors were laden in front of the men.

Zane tried to make out Samukai. He glanced at a larger man bearing a handgun. The man turned, giving Zane a better look at his face. It was him. Samukai, the feared commander over the Skulkin. Zane took the magazine out of his rifle, slamming another one in.

He pulled back the bolt. _'He's just met his match.'_ Zane let off a small grin, before kicking open the door and firing two shots. Both hit a Skulkin each. The third had much faster reflexes, and was able to squeeze off a shot before being gunned down.

Zane felt a light pain on his left arm. He checked the wound, seeing that it was merely a graze. He could deal with a graze.

A fourth shot and down went the last Skulkin. Zane was about to go for Samukai when a loud _BAM!_ filled the room.

Zane yelled at the top of his lungs, his stomach engulfed in pure agony. He fell to his knees, dropping his rifle. Samukai's bullet had hit Zane right where he had been hurting in the past weeks.

Zane looked up to see Samukai staring back at him, a Darese UG-50 handgun smoking in his hand. Zane's breathing was heavy; ragged with pauses in random places. But Samukai seemed rather calm considering his four guards had been shot.

"Boy, I've been doing this for 24 years. I've made my career on reading people's faces, and based on what I see in you…" Skulkin whistled. "You look tough. Tougher than the rest. When I do an execution like this, I always look into the eyes. It's the fear. The fear that drives me. They call me a madman, a psycho, a savage. But everyone's got a fear. What's yours?"

Zane continued to watch as Samukai peered into his eyes, looking. Samukai gave a smug, crooked grin. "You're afraid. You're afraid that you'll become like me! A savage! A nuisance to mankind! A plague on the face of the planet!" Samukai raised his UG-50, putting the barrel to Zane's head. Gunfire could be heard coming from outside, but Samukai didn't seem to be paying much attention. The gunfire ceased.

"Don't worry." Samukai said, still grinning. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Zane felt time slow down. This was it, his last moment alive and well. Did he have any regrets? Any sorrows? Any unsolved mysteries? No. No, Zane just sat quietly, staring down the barrel of a gun.

And Zane smiled.

Light flooded the lobby as the wooden doors were kicked in and men began flooding in. A shot from someone's rifle brought Samukai down. Zane continued to clutch his gut, thankful that he was alive.

Someone put a hand on his shoulder. "Need a hand?" Asked a familiar voice. Zane smiled, looking back up at Cole Brookstone.

"I would really appreciate it." Zane said as Cole hoisted him up.

"Damn, that's a bad place to get hit." Said a second man, also walking up to Zane.

"Senior Airman, what brings you from your 'High And Mighty' position?" Zane said, with a tad bit of sarcasm.

Jay shrugged. "A goose got caught in my engine." He said, smirking.

"Goose my ass, Jay. Your sorry rear got waaaaaay down." Said a fourth and final voice, who patted Zane twice on the back.

"Good to see you, Kai." Zane smiled, trying to shake his hand, but failing miserable due to his wound.

"Good to see you as well, mi amigo." The Ranger responded, giving him his best smile.

A static voice buzzed into Cole's radio. "Brookstone, it's Dan. The city's being secured as we speak, but there's a large Darese reaction force heading your way to recover Samukai, or what's left of him."

Cole nodded. He pointed to a shorter man also in a Marine combat uniform. "Dareth, I want you and three Rangers to head upstairs and cover the front from the windows." 'Dareth', who Zane presumed to be a friend of Cole's, nodded and went to rally three of the Army Rangers.

"Kai, you take your Rangers and Jay and cover the Exits and Lobby. Nobody gets inside, not one person." Cole said, and Kai gave a quick nod, followed by Jay who gave a thumbs-up.

"Zane, you're with me." Cole said. "I know you're hit pretty badly, but I need you to use your handgun and cover the first floor windows, alright?"  
Zane nodded, drawing his P12S. "I'm on it, Cole." He ran towards a window from which he could make out the large swab of grass in front of City Hall.

Men in Black, White, and Purple began to emerge. Zane pulled back the slider on his P12S, cocking it.

Gunfire erupted from upstairs, signaling the start of the firefight. Zane fired a few shots, trying his best to aim. He wasn't doing so well, and he felt as though his hand were getting even more wobbly. He could see some of the Rangers firing from a doorway, and could see Cole rushing back out of the lobby and towards the Mayor's Office.

The Darese just kept coming, and everyone kept firing. For every Ranger that fell, at least 50 Darese soldiers were killed in that field. Zane's hand became too wobbly for him to even shoot. He moved into cover, sliding down the wall.

He decided to wait out the remainder of the firefight. It never seemed to stop. Fighting went on until the sun was about to set. He heard a roar and loud clanks. He stood up, peering out. There, in front of City Hall, making a chain of metal, was an entire Tank column, each metal hunk loaded with Marines.

Zane moved to the lobby, where Kai, Jay, and Cole were already high-fiving, fist-bumping, and shouting. His gut still burned, but the bleeding had stopped for the most part. "D-did we do it?" He asked, smiling.

Cole turned to look at the sunset about to dive out of view from the remaining tatters of Ninjago City.

"Yeah. We did it."

 **And that's the last combat chapter! BUT FEAR NOT! There will be plenty more combat in the oneshots and sequel that comes soon after! Until next chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17:Nation United, Government Not

**AAAAAND we're back! I'm glad to see that the last combat chapter was received well, although I did have a few typos included. Ooh, looks like it's Review Response Time!**

 **MNC- Don't worry, the Darese will get what's coming to them. Rest assured of that!**

 **MasterOfCupcakes- Indeed! The four friends are once again together, and the city is saved!**

 **NGGK- You'll be happy to know that I'm excited as well, and can't find the source of it either!**

 **Lia- More combat scenes will come in the next WoS stories, do not be alarmed!  
Dragon- Zane will most certainly be eating his soup, taking his medicine, and taking care that his wound is in the best condition it can be in! Now that I think about it, I've been giving most of the pain to Zane. Maybe I'll have to change that…**

 **Now, let's draw our story closer to the end, shall we?**

Chapter 17: A Nation United, A Government Divided

Garmadon brushed the remaining shave cream off of his face. He took a good, hard look at himself in the mirror. His usually bright green eyes seemed colder than normal. New wrinkles around his face showed the immense stress he had taken in the past few months.

He grimaced at himself, before turning away from the mirror. He surveyed his bedroom, which was protected by his hand-picked personal guard. The shades were drawn, allowing no morning light to enter the room. Pixal stood in the corner, unmoving and silent, which was abnormal from her usual behavior.

Garmadon felt his hip, making sure he hadn't forgotten to place his handgun in its holster. Sure enough, the UG-50 was nowhere to be found. He cursed mentally, before walking up to one of the guards.

"Give me your handgun." He ordered, his voice stern as it usually was when he was talking to soldiers.

Without hesitation, the soldier slipped his UG-50 out of his holster, offering it to Garmadon. The older man took it, nodding slightly in gratitude at the soldier. Finally, he placed his cap on his head and walked out the door by Pixal, who obediently followed him.

The robot had taken notice to the many changes that now enveloped the palace that housed the Royal Family. Lloyd didn't even come out to eat anymore, forcing Pixal to enter and deliver his food while he lay in bed. The soldiers seemed even more bleak than usual, taking the responsibility of their Queen's deaths upon themselves.

And Garmadon had shown the biggest change. He wasn't even warm in private anymore. It was all just bleakness and grief, though Pixal didn't blame him much. She didn't understand the concept of love, but she had heard that it was the greatest thing to happen to a person. And based on logic, she concluded that losing that thing would crush a man, and touch the very confines of his soul.

She continued to follow her master, heading around the many corners, nearing closer and closer to the War Room.

Garmadon had been called for a meeting by a messenger from General Morro, who claimed it was urgent and needed immediate attention, something about "the destruction of the Darese way of life".

They turned a final corner, entering a corridor protected by 12 Skulkin. A set of metal doors lay at the end of the hallway. They began their walk towards the door. Garmadon could hear the squabbling Generals from inside the War Room.

They stopped, and Garmadon removed his ID badge. He briefly showed it to the camera in the top right corner of the hallway. The doors before them immediately swung open, allowing the Master and Servant to enter the room.

Upon Garmadon's entry, all in the room fell silent. Morro looked terrible. He had bags under his eyes, his cap was strewn on the floor, and his jet black hair was in a mess. General Kozu had his arms crossed, and was looking down at a map of the world. Nadakhan was looking suspiciously at his colleagues, and Samukai was nowhere to be found, which was odd as he almost always attended meetings.

Pixal took her place in the corner of the room, ready to observe the conflict that was surely inevitable.

Garmadon looked directly at Morro, who had a new emotion in his eyes that Pixal had never seen. Fear.

"Well?" He asked. "This had better be good, Morro. I don't like wasting my time."  
Morro, averted his eyes from Garmadon, instead looking at the map, at Ninjago City. "L-Lord… Lord Garmadon…" he gulped. Sweat beads began to form on his forehead. "The invasion of Ninjago has failed. The capital city is in Ninjagan hands, and 60,000 Darese troops are standed in Ninjago."

Garmadon's expression didn't change. He looked at his other Generals, who were also avoiding his eyes, clearly wallowing in shame.

"What are my casualties?"

Kozu looked up at him, a covering the shame well behind his stone face. **[A/N I DID A PUN!]** "About 310,000 dead, sir. The Ninjagans took 145,000 military casualties, 30,000 civilian casualties."

Garmadon nodded slowly, taking it all in. "And what about Samukai? What about my personal guard of 10,000 that I sent?"

Kozu looked at Morro, who locked eyes with his rival.

"My Lord…" Morro started, unable to finish.

Nadakhan looked at Garmadon, his arms folded across his chest. "My Lord, Samukai is dead. The 10,000 that were sent are either dead, captured, or missing." He took a breath, before deciding to continue. "The Ouroborus Mafia has gone silent. Pythor hasn't made a public appearance since he lost two-thirds of his men in the attack on their capital."

Garmadon took a seat in a chair in front of the map. The room was silent. All eyes were on him. With a shaking hand, he removed his cap from his head and set it on the table.

"Pythor!" He shouted. "That slithering bastard of a menace gives up on us! US! His only ally!"

Pixal winced and backed further into the corner at the outburst. She had seen him act like this before, but never when facing such dire situations as he was now.

"AND SAMUKAI! Samukai is killed by such a weak opponent, and his men are in the most disarray ever seen by the Skulkin!" He slammed his fist on the table, causing it to shake.

Morro saw an opportunity to swipe at his rival. "Sir, Commander Samukai was merely acting on orders from General Kozu." He said rapidly, trying to get in as much as he could before Garmadon continued.

"Samukai should've known better than to listen to Kozu! He and his men take orders from me! Me alone!"

Kozu tried to take some of the pressure off of himself, also speaking rapidly. "Sir, you were on absence and refused to lead the troops. Your orders were-"

"My orders were for you to command the Darese well and attack the Wildwood Forest! THAT'S WHERE WE COULD'VE MADE OUR BREAK!" Garmadon interrupted, causing Kozu to go silent.

The room remained in silence for a few seconds afterwards. Garmadon sat in his chair, trying to steady his breathing.

"Their people are united. Our people, our government, our army… even us. We're divided."

The three Generals looked around the room at each other.

"Is this what it's come to? Ninjago standing on our doorstep with a battering ram?" He hung his head low.

"What would Misako think of me now?" He pondered, followed by even more silence.

He stood up, straightened his uniform, and looked at Morro, who's fear had been replaced by shame, remorse, and sadness.

"Prepare the defenses. If Ninjago's coming, we won't go down without a fight."

And with that, he strolled out, once again followed by his loyal servant.

 **And that draws our series to a close! I hope y- wait, hang on. I can't end it here! I have to do one more chapter! So keep your eyes peeled for the final chapter/epilogue of Warriors of Steel!**

 **P.S. Easter Egg Hunters! There's a huge Easter Egg hidden right in this chapter. A reference, one might say. Good luck finding what it is!**


	18. Epilogue

**Well Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it. This is the last segment of our story, and may I just say that I had an absolute blast while writing it. As you all know, there will be a few one-shots, as well as a sequel to this story. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it.**

Chapter 18: Epilogue

Kai loved his town. Sitting here, outside his favorite pub, allowing the light Ignacia breeze to flow through his hair.

He took another sip out of his beverage, a simple glass of water, and adjusted his sunglasses on his nose. He leaned back in his chair, smoothing down his shirt. _'Nothing like a hard-earned vacation after that mess.'_ He thought, cracking a quick smile.

He continued, allowing his eyes to slip closed. Nothing could disrupt him, could disturb this peace, this calm after the storm.

"Hey Kai! Kai!"

Almost nothing. Kai flinched at his name being called from afar. He recognized the cheery voice, allowing one of his eyes to open, exposing his retina to the light.

Low and behold, there stood his friend Jay Walker, lopsided grin on his face, arm around the waist of his little sister. Kai mentally groaned, scooching himself up in his seat and leaning forward.

"Hey guys." He tried to hide the grumpiness in his voice, but it clearly failed seeing as Jay's smile faded a bit, and Nya shot him a look.

"Oh, sorry to disturb you, Kai. We'll just be headed ba-."

Kai cut him off with the wave of his hand. "Nonsense. Sit down. C'mon." Kai once again adjusted himself in his chair.

Nya smiled once more at her brother. "Thank you, Kai."

Jay pulled out the seat for her, waiting for her to sit down before pulling out his own seat and plopping into it.

"So, Kai, since I haven't heard from you yet, what happened over in the Big City?" She pondered, leaning forward on the table.

Kai tipped down his shades. "Do you _really_ want to know?" He asked, edging them on.

The two looked over at him, pleased to see them nodding like schoolchildren. He smiled; he had them eating out the palm of his hand!

"You sure? 'Cause this ain't no Flyboy story or a Devil Dog story. This is real, frontlines. Boots on the ground, y'know?"

Jay leaned back in his seat, still quite interested. Nya began nodding rapidly, and he felt as though he was talking to his baby sister again, telling her the stories of Samurai and Ninja, battling snakes and skeletons and whatever else they encountered on their adventures.

"Well, it all started when I was sitting in my bunker, and I-."

"Hey, is Kai telling one of his lame-o battlefield stories? Those ain't nothing like what I've been through!" Another voice filled the air, causing Kai to flinch once more from interruption.

He turned to see Cole, wearing the same black tank top he had worn the day previously. Seleil walked beside him, smiling her usual devious smile, looking as though she was planning something, which in all likelihood she was.

Jay snickered, looking over at Cole. "Nice wife-beater, buddy! Great fashion choice."

Cole grinned back at his friend. "Shove it up your ass, Walker." He pulled out his chair, sitting down in it. Seleil did the same, still grinning around the table. "How's that scar healing up?"  
Jay tapped his eyebrow, where a small bandage was placed. "Ah, the Doctor said that the scar's not going away. But hey, people like scars. Scars make a guy look tough, right?"

"Yeah, right." Kai said, chuckling. Soon Cole was smirking, and Nya was holding back laughter.

"What?" Jay inquired, giving a curious look around the table.

"Nothing, nothing. Now, Cole, you said something about your fights being tougher than mine?" Kai asked, smiling.

"Only because it's true. I fought from the Sea of Sand down to the shores of the City, man." Cole crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair.

Kai continued smiling back. "I got ambushed in Ouroborus while we were on a Sunday drive."

Cole spat back. "I watched Borg Towers go down."

Jay stepped in, leaning forward on the table next to his girlfriend. "That's nothing! My team brought the Tower down!"

"I'm afraid all of your tales are inadequate in comparison to mine." A calmer, deeper voice entered. Everyone looked up to see the man in white, Zane.

"Hey, I haven't heard any of Zane's stories." Nya said, continuing to look at her friend. "Tell us a story!"

The table resonated with shouts and calls of, "C'mon Zane!" and "Yeah, spill Zane!"

Zane seemed to get distant for a moment, as though remembering. Everything went silent. Everyone awaited him to tell about how he fought with Garmadon in hand-to-hand combat, or how he shot a Skulkin from two miles out.

He opened his mouth to speak. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

"Classified."

A collective groan rose from the table.

"Damn it Zane, you're such a buzzkill!" Seleil shouted, crossing her arms.

"Classified? What are you, the President?" Kai shouted, throwing up his arms in despair.

Zane merely shrugged and walked over, taking a seat at the table. "I swore an oath of secrecy. No one must know, lest dangerous information falls into the wrong hands."  
Jay chuckled. "Yeah, because one of us is a spy in disguise. I think that Cole's Wife-beater is pretty suspicious…"

"Would you stop talking about my Wife-Beater?!" Shouted Cole in desperation.

"Then stop wearing it!" Jay countered.

"Why are we talking about each other's articles of clothing?" Zane asked, clearly confused.

"Eh, forget the clothing." Kai said. "Nya, did you pick up on any good news lately?"  
His sister nodded. "I'm afraid that's it's not the best news in the world, but you'd get it one way or another." She stopped, taking a breath.

"Ninjago's going to invade the Dark Island. It's a counter-invasion to over throw the Garmadon Clan and instate a democracy. Chen's Island has started using its funds and strategic location to support the Dark Island, so that's going to be invaded as well."

The table was left in silence for a while, the six friends glancing around the table at eachother.

Cole sat up, setting his hands on the table. "We all knew this was coming." He said. "And we all were prepared for this." He looked down before continuing. "Just because the last invasion resulted in failure doesn't mean that this one will. There's a new batch of men, and new fighting force on the ground."

Kai threw up his arms once more. "Yeah, a new batch of men to be killed."

Cole turned his attention over to the Ranger. "And what kind of fighting words are those, huh?"

"I lost both my parents in the last war. I don't want to lose any of you." Kai said, before falling back in his seat.

Once more, the table was silent. Jay opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. Zane took turns looking between Cole and Kai, seeing if this would escalate into further conflict.

Cole looked bewildered. "K-Kai, is that what you've been worried about?" He momentarily flashed back to his dream a month before, seeing his friends dead on the streets of Ninjago City.

Kai solemnly nodded his head. "Yeah, that is what I've been worried about."

Zane, who was observing each and every person around the room, took notice of Nya, who was sitting quietly in between her brother and her boyfriend. She seemed to be sinking lower and lower into her chair.

He broke through the conversation between Ranger and Marine. "Nya, are you feeling alright?"

She nodded, which drew more attention to her. "Yes, why?" She tried to put on a smile, and to sit up.

"What's bothering you?" Jay asked, sounding more concerned for his girlfriend.

"N-nothing. It's just that…" She sighed, taking a long breath. "I think Kai's right. Maybe you guys should… take a break from all the fighting. I mean, you all saw the casualties for the first war. They were grotesque. So… it makes me wonder… how high will the casualties be in this war?"

"Maybe Nya's right." Cole said, standing up. "Maybe we've done our part as soldiers. Maybe it's time to return home and let the new guys handle the fighting."

Jay waved his hands in protest. "Woah, woah, my squad's a man short already! I can't just abandon them to fight alone over the Darese jungles! Who's gonna watch their backs?!"

Zane sighed, once again observing the conflict. "I'm afraid I will not be able to leave until the fighting ends." He stood, brushed out his shirt, and proceeded to take two steps back towards the Smith Manor.

Cole stepped in front of him. "Woah, woah, hang on a minute Frosty. I'm not letting you go on any dangerous missions. What would your father say?"

Something caught in Zane's eyes. They shifted towards something his friends never saw. He grabbed Cole's Wife Beater, getting close as though he were going to hit him. Jay and Kai immediately rushed over, each grabbing the arm of their friend.

"Easy, easy man!" Kai shouted, trying to get Zane off of him.

Slowly, Zane released his friend, taking deep breaths. "Don't you ever talk about what my father would do. I've killed more men then you know, Cole. And let me tell you, he is the exact reason that every time I feel remorse, I pick up my rifle and go out, and do it again! I DO IT BECAUSE IT'S WHAT HE DIED FOR!"

Zane finished, brushing past Cole and walking towards the Smith Manor.

"I'll talk to him." Jay said, running after him.

"Wait, Jay! Let's just let him cool down!" Nya also bolted off after the two men.

Cole looked on the ground, feeling remorseful.

"Hey." Seleil said, rubbing his arm. "It's not your fault. I think that Zane's seen a lot more than he wanted during this war. I think that he just… snapped, and all that pressure, all that emotion, just came flooding out."

Cole continued to look down. "Y-yeah, sure Seleil. I'm going to go get some cake."

He wandered off, not taking his eyes off the ground. Seleil looked over at Kai, who sat back down and pointed at Cole. "Go. Talk to him. He needs someone right now, yeah?"

Seleil nodded, before walking off in the direction her crush had gone.

Kai sighed, stirring the straw in his drink. _'So this is my life.'_ He thought. _'Alone, fighting with friends…'_

He thought about his times in the army. Goofing off with Dan during basic training, playing games with Lars and Mac during his time in the Sea of Sand, his one passionate kiss with Skylor when he was about to board the plane back to Ignacia.

He looked up at the sky. Was he really ready to give it up?

Was he really ready to end his life as a Warrior?

 **Well. I didn't mean for it to end in such a depressing way when I started it. But don't worry, folks. It gets a little more… optimistic in the one-shots. And for last chapter's Easter Egg, it was actually a scene from the German movie Downfall. The scene in particular has become a rather famous internet meme. I suppose that's it, then. I know I said it earlier, and I know it's super cheesy, but damn, did I enjoy writing this story. It was an adventure for me, riding through Ouroboros with the Rangers, flying high with Squadron D, roaming the palace halls with NNSOG. I suppose that means it's time for one last ADIOS!**


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